Trapped
by Wildwoodluver
Summary: What is happening to Belle in the asylum? How will Rumpelstiltskin find out about her?  Who else will be involved with reuniting them and who will pay the consequences?  This is my idea of how it all happens! Enjoy :
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Time stood still, as it had for what felt like decades. The only indication of passing time beyond the padded walls that contained her was when the darkness slowly overcame the small space in which she sat, huddled on a hard, raised, bench. When it approaches, the night offers nothing but a reminder of the solitude she is forced to dwell in for an indefinite period of time. At least when the sun's light peeks its way through the chained window it brings hope; it reminds her that there is life outside her prison and that one day she just may get an opportunity to see it with her own eyes. The darkness removes any trace of this hope. If she is fortunate, some nights a faint glow of the moon will find its way through, illuminating the dull strands of her chestnut hair.

However, being trapped in the cell was not the worst the part. For her, not knowing why she was there made it all the more agonizing to endure. As far back as she can remember, she has been confined to this room, only leaving for trips to the restroom, with an escort of course, and the occasional moments when the head nurse, Mildred, was not around. The custodian, Chief (a nickname given to him by the other guards) lets her out to roam the halls for a few minutes whenever Mildred would go on break, which was not often. This allowed her to feel some short breath of freedom while she fantasized about running out the door into the sunlight, taking in the world around her. But she would never take advantage of Chief's kindness. She had expressed to him on numerous occasions that he didn't have to do this for her; that he would most likely lose his job if he was to get caught, but he didn't care. Chief was the only person she knew who took sympathy on her, the only person she had any interaction with, even if it was only short salutations once or twice a week.

Anyone who didn't know Chief would assume he was dangerous, perhaps insane or psychologically disturbed in some way, based solely off his appearance. His long black hair draped over half his pale face, revealing a scar that makes its way from the top of his forehead down to his ear. His dark, sunken eyes would be enough alone to deter anyone from trying to get to know him. But this was all a charade, a way to protect himself from others. Behind his brooding demeanor was a man who is misunderstood. A man who hates his job but does it well regardless. A man who helps a young girl grasp some sense of liberty any chance he gets. He is a hero, at least in her eyes.

She rested her head against her knees, as was typical behavior whenever the sun went down. If there was no light in the cell, she might as well keep her eyes closed. The medicine that she had been administered that afternoon was wearing off. She wasn't sure what it was for exactly; she had asked several times to no avail. Chief had tried to sneak a glance at the bottles the pills came in but he was never able to get close enough. If only she could know what was wrong with her. Why she was here. All she could go off of was that the medicine made her feel lightheaded but at its peak, really calm. It helped at times like these when she began to feel anxious and trapped. Taking deep breaths, she tried to imagine what was outside of this room, outside of this cage.

_Maybe she was crazy, maybe she should be in here_, these thoughts had been occurring a lot recently, ever since her most recent session with Dr. Hopper, the psychologist that paid a visit to her cell once a week for some one on one "psychoanalysis". Really it was him making sure he followed all of the town's regulations for patients in the psych ward. A session is required by law at least once a week. But to call it a session would be an overstatement.

It happened quite suddenly, this realization, ten minutes before her session began when Mildred came in to administer her pills for the day. As usual, the head nurse was silent, serious, and not someone you wanted to irritate. With her was a guard for her protection, in case the girl decided to attack or try to escape. While sorting through her pills, Mildred had noticed she forgot to bring in one of the medications. She sighed deeply, turning to the guard, "Get this medicine," she pointed to a name on the clipboard. "It's in the back room. Make sure to get the one labeled with a red sticker," she then turned to the girl, huddled in the corner. "The patient can't start her day without it." Her mouth twitched slightly into a small smile and then it was gone. The girl looked away, hiding her face with her hair.

After the guard came back and the medicine was administered, the pair left, once again leaving her to her thoughts. Something about what had just happened unnerved her and it wasn't the nurse's unnatural smile. She noticed something when the nurse addressed her; something that the more she thought about, the more she realized that this wasn't the first time. She was never called by a name.

What was her name? She rummaged through memories of her encounters over the years and no one has ever said her name. No one. This made no sense, why couldn't she remember her name? Sure her recollections of a life prior to being in this cell were gone, but someone had to know. She must have a name, everyone does. The more she thought about it the more frustrated she got. All this time she was referred to as she or "the patient". Not even Dr. Hopper said her name. Was this all a part of their plan? Did they not want her to have an identity? Did they think it made it easier for her to accept her fate is she felt like she didn't exist? These questions stuck with her as Dr. Hopper took a seat beside her that day for their session.

"_How are you feeling?"_

_She took a second to answer for once. Instead of giving the same response she did at every session prior to this, she decided to take command of the conversation._

"_What's my name?"_

_He looked up from his notepad, a combination of shock and uncertainty fixed on his face. His eyes, which typically conveyed such assurance and wisdom, were now wide with bewilderment. He took a few moments to collect his composure, cleared his throat, and then answered, "What…what is your name?" He inquired. Hopeful that he had misunderstood. _

_She nodded._

_A few more seconds passed and he finally figured out how to sidestep answering the question himself, "Well…what do you think your name is?"_

_There was a long silence as she stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't understand why no one could give her a straight answer. _

"_I…I don't know that's why I'm asking you. Please doctor if you know just tell me. I feel…I feel so lost."_

_She noticed for the first time that what she was saying seemed to really be affecting him. His eyes got the same look in them that Chief had whenever they saw how unhappy she was. They were that of a concerned parent or a worried friend._

_He nodded and then sat back against the padded walls._

_He didn't speak for a while so she took the opportunity to speak again. "I don't know why I am here. Am I dangerous?"_

_Still, he didn't answer, but just closed his eyes as if in deep thought._

"_I want to leave. I need to get out of here. I…I can't take it any more…" She began to pound the back of her head against the cell wall in frustration. Tears were surfacing, but she couldn't let them break her. She was stronger than that._

"_I know." That was all he said. She looked over at him, hoping that maybe he was starting to really listen to her. Up till now their sessions had been insignificant in every way. He asked her the same simple yet exasperating questions every meeting and she would always give the same short, detached answers. It had never felt like he was listening. But this time was different. So different that she was tempted to ask him a question that had been burning inside her; a question that she would never even ask Chief, for fear of what he knew and how he would respond. _

_Dr. Hopper looked over at the girl, her hair long and frayed, yet strangely enough with its beauty still intact; her tired, blue eyes staring anxiously into his, her pale skin, luminescent in the dim room. He wanted to help her. He wanted to tell her what he knew, but truthfully, it wasn't much. If anything he wanted to get some answers from her. Yet, he consciously kept reminding himself of the consequences that would follow if he got involved. If instead of continuing with the directions he was ordered to obey, he actually did his job. If only he could figure out what was really wrong with her…_

"_Why do you think you are here?" This was a question he had always avoided asking, although he has been tempted in the past. He wasn't supposed to speculate on her "problem". But this time was different. This time he wanted to know, he needed to. _

_She wanted to do it. She wanted to say it. If she was ever going to ask, now was the time._

"_I'm here because of her."_

_Dr. Hopper's eyes tightened a bit. _

"_Her? Her who?"_

_As the girl continued to stare at him, Doctor Hopper's expression slowly began to suggest he knew exactly to whom she was referring to. But he didn't want to admit it._

_After a minute, she continued, _

"_The woman. The woman with the dark eyes and short black hair. She comes by every now and then, peering through that porthole over there. Her face it's…it's hauntingly beautiful but so…so…"_

_The doctor was now staring off across the room as he finished her sentence…"evil."_

"_Yes! Evil, precisely. You know her then?"_

"_She…She's the mayor. Her name is Regina."_

"_The mayor? But why would the mayor want to lock me up? Why is she keeping me here…"_

"_You don't know that the mayor has anything to do with…"_

"_Of course she does! Dr. Hopper please believe me when I tell you this, I know it's her! Why else would the mayor pay me random visits? Does she do this with the other patients?"_

"_Well. I don't know. But it just doesn't make any sense…"_

"_Exactly. There's a reason she wants me in here. I have to find out what it is. I need your help."_

_Doctor Hopper starred down at his lap, unmistakably torn over what to do. _

_She placed her cold hand on his shoulder, "Please. What do you know?"_

_He looked at her, a moment of consideration flashing in his eyes, but then it was gone and he stood up, flustered as he gathered his things._

"_Alright well I will see you next week…."_

"_But doctor…"_

_He paused and looked over at her pleading face, "I'm…I'm sorry. I have another appointment. I…I must go." _

_And just like that he was gone, leaving her feeling helpless, yet a bit optimistic. Clearly they had broken some boundaries that had never been crossed and that meant next week could be even better._

The memory of that session had stayed with her throughout the week. She wanted to stay hopeful that she was getting closer to finding out the truth. But it got harder as the days and nights wore on. If she wasn't crazy when she came into this place, she sure was close to becoming it now. So much time in this prison was enough to make anyone mad.

Suddenly there was a loud noise. The sound of harsh voices made its way into her cell. She stood up, making her way towards the door, which wasn't difficult since her eyes could now easily adjust to the darkness. Pressing her ear on her door, she listened. The voices were getting closer and closer. An argument was happening. A man's voice, pleading and desperate, was yelling about how he would kill someone, a woman. Eventually, she was able to make out full sentences:

"I'll kill her! She thinks she can do this to me again!" There was a brief pause where a struggle could be heard, this man against the guards she assumed.

"I'm not mad! I am not mad! She's the crazy one. She's got all of you fooled! Regina!" He yelled her name so loudly and with so much hatred, it sent the girl stumbling back. _Regina. That name, Regina. She's the mayor._

Suddenly the man broke out into wild fits of deranged laughter. The door to the cell next door opened and then slammed shut. But the laughter could still be heard, as if he was standing right next to her. Why was it so loud? How could she hear it so clearly through these walls?

She pressed her ears up against the wall connecting to his cell. It took her a minute to realize that the left side of the room's wall was thicker than the right side. As the laughter continued, it got louder as she made her way towards the window. Curious as to why this was, she knocked gently on the part of the wall closest to the window. The laughter stopped.

She held her breath listening closely to any noise on the other side. It was as if he had suddenly passed out. It was silent.

"Who's there?" Came a voice from the other side unexpectedly. She jumped back, her heart racing. After a minute she caught her breath and placed her head back against the wall.

"Hello?" She said back.

"Who are you?"

She wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't have a name.

"Um. Hi. I'm…I'm a patient here." It wasn't the brightest answer but it was the best she could think of.

"What's your name?"

"My…my name?"

"Yes your name? The name given to you when you were born. What people call you?"

"I…I don't have a name."

There was silence. She thought perhaps he had gotten tired of speaking to her, or thought that someone who didn't even have a name wasn't worth his time. She slowly moved back towards the bench. It was a bit disheartening. The one chance she has of getting to know someone new. To find someone to talk to, and she ruined it. But it probably was for the best, he did seem a tad deranged.

Then, without warning, came a combination of strange, unexplainable noises. She stared at the wall and watched as it suddenly started to move. _It was a door._

How could she not know this before? It swung open and standing there was tall, lean man in all black attire with a top hat sitting on his head. He was young, handsome, but there was something about him that made him look like he belonged here. An unhinged gleam in his eyes that caught the girl off guard. She stood up slowly, perplexed at what had just happened. Could this be a dream?

He stepped forward, tilting his head a little to the left as he looked her up and down. She quickly noted the scar that ran along the side of his neck, but she didn't want to get caught staring. Instead she looked at the floor.

"You don't have a name?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. She shook her head.

"I have trouble believing that. Everyone has a name. Should she speak or let him continue the conversation? She braved to look back up at him, and then she couldn't look away.. There was something about him that had her entranced. It was as if he just came from a whole different world. Or perhaps it was his mystifying entrance, or his strange attire.

He held out his hand to her, "My name is Jefferson."

Hi everyone! Just wanted to thank you for reading! I have really awesome ideas for this story and it will only get better! There will be more action and dialogue in the other chapters but I felt like I had to really introduce a lot of the background stuff in this chapter. Oh and Rumpelstiltskin will be a part of this story so don't worry! Please keep reading and comment! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He let go of her hand and moved it under her chin, gently lifting her face up so that it caught the faint light coming from the other cell. Looking her up and down quickly, he then moved his focus to her eyes. She stood there, looking back, unsure of what exactly he was doing, but she didn't want to interrupt. The way he looked at her, it was as if he was analyzing every feature of her face, trying to figure out where he knew her.

After about a minute, his eyes widened and then he stepped back, casting himself almost entirely in the darkness. She began to step forward but he held up his hand for her to stop.

Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes, in a similar way as Dr. Hopper had, deep in thought. Then to her surprise, he began laughing again. It wasn't the same shrill chuckle as before; it was calmer, normal but still imbalanced. _What in the world could be so funny right now?_ She wondered.

"Why are you laughing?" She braved to question. He didn't answer. She was getting aggravated. No one ever answered her questions.

She stepped towards him once more but this time he let her. Standing in front of him she asked again, "What…what is so funny? Why do you keep laughing?"

No answer again.

"You're crazy." She said and that shut him up. His face turned grim, so much that she wished she could go back and let him continue laughing. She stepped backwards slowly and he followed, until the back of her knees hit the bench. He grabbed her arms tightly and pushed her so that she was now sitting. Towering over her he whispered, "I am _not _crazy."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" He held a finger against her lips and shook his head.

"Neither one of us is crazy. Yet here we are."

Her face lit up. He knew she wasn't crazy. He knew that she didn't belong here. Finally, someone who understood.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" She asked just to clarify, her lips parting into a small smile at the thought. He shook his head again.

"No. I know your not crazy, Belle."

Her heart dropped. He called her a name, Belle. The sound of it was so familiar, but why?

"I'm…I'm sorry what did you just say?"

"I called you Belle. That is your name."

"How…how do you know that?" She stood up so that they were now only inches apart. Her eyes were anxious and pleading for answers. He stood there watching this elation build inside of her.

"I know a lot of things. I know why you're here. I know who put you here. And I know how long it has been since you've seen the outside of this basement.

She stood there shocked. Words were unable to make their way through her lips. Hundreds of thoughts were running so wildly through her mind that she couldn't decide on what to say first. He smiled, this time widely as though revealing this information gave him great pleasure.

"But I didn't really answer your question did I? _How _do I know?" She nodded. It was a start.

"I guess you can say I'm special. You're special too. There just hasn't been any chance for you to show it has there?"

She continued to stare into his eyes with so much hope she thought she might explode.

"No. I didn't think so. How about we sit down and I tell you everything I know about you. And then I can answer your question last, about how I know these things? Sound good?"

She nodded quickly and they both say down on the bench.

Jefferson took a deep breath and then turned himself to face her completely, grabbing her cold hands in his.

"What if I told you, Belle, that you were once…"

Suddenly he stopped, glancing quickly over at the main door. He jumped up and sprinted across the room, through the new door and shut it behind him. Belle continued to sit there, shocked and very confused. The door that had just been formed appeared once again to be just a wall. She then looked at her own cell door and noticed that sounds were getting louder; someone was approaching. She quickly laid down, pretending to sleep. Just as she did, the door opened, the sounds of a keychain rattled as someone approached.

Her heart was pounding, could they have heard her and Jefferson speaking? Perhaps they heard his laughter come from her cell. What would they do to her? To Jefferson?

All of a sudden two large hands were shaking her.

"Wake up!" A deep, familiar voice begged.

She turned around and there was Chief, clenching onto a metal loop that held all the keys to the asylum. His eyes were fretful as he sat her up; leaning in close he quickly spoke, "You're free but you have to hurry!" Belle couldn't process what was happening. Where were the guards? How did he get the keys?

"What…what are you talking about? How did you get those?"

He didn't answer but grabbed her by the arm and pulled her outside of the cell.

"There isn't any time for questions, you have to get out of here now." He turned her towards her, placing both large hands on the sides of her face. It was as if he was saying goodbye to his own daughter.

"You didn't deserve this. Any of this. I'm so sorry." As he hugged her, Belle clung onto him, a tear running down her cheek.

"Thank you." She muttered into his chest. She wasn't quite sure what was happening, but she knew she had to take advantage of this opportunity. She had to get away. She started to leave but then paused.

"What are you waiting for! Go!"

"I need the keys." Chief looked questionably at her, but he tossed them her way. She turned to the cell next to hers and unlocked the door. Jefferson was standing by the wall with his head pressed up against it.

"Jefferson!" She yelled at him. He turned towards her, awe-struck.

"What…how did you…"

"Never mind about that we have to hurry! Come on!"

With no hesitation he joined her in the hall. He took one glance and Chief and then grabbed Belles hand, guiding her towards the exit. Belle took one last look at Chief and then they began to run.

On their way they nearly stepped on at least five guards who were lying unconscious, scattered around the halls and main area. While Belle took this all in, Jefferson didn't even glance twice at any of the bodies. He was focused on reaching the door. As they headed to the stairs that would lead them up to the hospital, Belle noticed Mildred slumped over her desk, looking as though she had just passed out for a nap. But Belle knew the truth; Chief most likely drugged her or worse.

"Come on!" Jefferson tugged on her hand and they flew up the steps.

They burst through the doors into a hospital where it was for the most part empty, except for a doctor and a couple nurses with some patients. Not trying to draw attention to themselves they stopped running and merely walked at a quick pace. Still holding onto her hand, he guided her through the halls, undetected by anyone, or so it seemed.

They were only a few feet from the front door when a voice called after them.

"Hey! You two! Where do you think you are going?" They spun around to see a doctor standing by the front desk, next to him was a receptionist.

"_Excuse_ me, but what are your names? Do you have authorization to leave?" The woman asked them. They looked at each other, hoping the other might have an idea or some kind of story to rely on. But it became clear that neither one did.

Jefferson squeezed Belle's hand tightly and whispered, _run_. They both sprinted out of the hospital, drowning out the yelling and orders to stop. Belle was about to turn around and see if anyone was following them but Jefferson tugged her forward, "Don't look back. Whatever you do, do not look behind you. Keep running!"

She was in no place to argue, he was right. As far as she knew they had no place to go, they would have to keep running until they could find shelter somewhere, and who knew how long that could take.

As they reached the end of the parking lot, Jefferson jerked her to the right, towards the forest.

"Where are we going? Jefferson, we should try to find shelter with someone. We can't live in the forest, we'll freeze!"

"We aren't going to live in the forest. I have a home. It's up on that hill there." He pointed to a large manor place on the very top of Storybrook.

"But won't that be the first place they'll look. They are going to be looking for us, we can't just…"

"We aren't staying there long. I have to get a few things. Then we are going to stay with a friend."

She took a deep breath and for once she felt relieved. It seemed like he had everything worked out. As they trudged through the forest, Belle was finally able to take in her surroundings. She had never seen anything more beautiful, of course she didn't have a lot to go off of. But the smell of pine and the cool air was enough to make her never want to be indoors again.

It was a chilly night, especially barefoot and in a hospital gown. But she barely noticed. All she could think about was how exuberating it was to be free. She thought about Chief too, and what would happen to him once Mildred and the guards woke up. She shivered at the thought. Jefferson saw this and took off his black jacket, wrapping her with it. Belle was about to refuse but the warmth felt incredible.

"Thank you." She said, grateful that he was with her.

"No, thank you. You didn't have to free me. You could have left, but you didn't. I will be forever in your debt."

"No your not. I could have never done this without you. I'd have likely already been caught and back in my cell by now."

He chuckled lightly and then become serious again. He turned his head upwards, as if listening to something. His arm shot out in front of Belle, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait. Do you hear that?"

She did. It sounded like someone was in the woods. Multiple people maybe. She looked in every direction, expecting to see the police or someone from the hospital out looking for them. But she could see no one.

Then suddenly Belle felt Jefferson shove her quickly behind him. He was looking at something in the forest but she couldn't make out who or what it was. Then, as it got closer, her heart dropped. It was a wolf.

"Stay behind me." He muttered to her.

They stood completely still for what felt like a few minutes as the wolf slowly approached them. It wasn't growling nor did it seem a serious threat. But they continued to remain motionless in case it felt threatened by any sudden movement.

Jefferson decided to test it. He stepped forward slightly, still holding onto Belle behind him. Nothing happened. He stepped forward again. Nothing.

He took this as a sign that they might be able to move past the animal. But as they got closer, the wolf began to follow their moves. When Jefferson tried to go around the wolf, it stepped in front of him, as if blocking him from going further.

His eyes furrowed in frustration, "Why won't it let us pass?" He muttered quietly. Then he did something Belle really wasn't expecting, he spoke to the animal. "Can we pass through here? We are trying to my home. That one right on the hill." He pointed to his mansion.

"Jefferson I don't think it…" He held up a finger and motioned her to stay quiet.

He stepped a little closer to the wolf, but Belle grabbed his arm and tried to get him to back up.

"Come on there is no point. We can find another way."

But Jefferson wasn't listening. He leaned forward, analyzing the wolf.

"Red?" He asked it. But the wolf stood in the same spot, giving no indication that it heard him.

"No. No you're not quite large enough are you?" He mumbled under his breath.

Meanwhile, Belle continued her attempt at getting him to step away.

"Why won't it let us pass!" Jefferson was clearly getting frustrated.

"We'll find another way…"

"There is no other way! Not one that we can take without drawing attention to ourselves."

He suddenly released his hold on Belle and walked right up to the wolf, quickly trying to maneuver past it. The wolf was one step ahead and blocked his path, growling fiercely now. It was angry.

"Jefferson please! It's dangerous we have to go!"

"Why! Why won't you let us pass!" He knelt down to the level of the wolf, pleading with it. The wolf stared at him and then slowly turned its head so that his eyes were looking directly at the house. Jefferson followed his head, staring at his manor. He stood up slowly, squinting his eyes as to make out something.

Then his eyes widened. Although they were a great distance from the house, it was still possible to see flashing red and blue lights along with a few vehicles lined up around his driveway. He stepped back, looking down at the wolf.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Jefferson gave a single nod to the wolf and then pulled Belle away. They trudged quickly through the forest, back towards the direction they came.

"Jefferson _please_ tell me what is going on. Where are we going?" Belle pleaded.

"We're going to visit a friend. We'll be safe there."

"We aren't going to your house anymore?"

"No. No, not anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When they reached the outskirts of the forest, Jefferson slowed down and Belle followed.

"Now the question is, how do we get to this place without getting detected." Jefferson said, practically to himself.

Belle was still taking in the sights and the fresh air.

"If we make it to Main Street we will be in the clear, but until then we need to be extra careful. Of course we could always go down Honey Lane, but there's a chance _he_ could be out helping with the search." Jefferson continued to mutter under his breath but Belle tried to make out as much as she could.

"He? Who's he?"

"Trust me you don't want to know." But of course she did. Before she could protest, though, he grabbed her hand and they set off, moving quickly towards an awning that would block them from the streetlights glow.

Jefferson then stopped abruptly and shoved Belle to the ground before they could make it there. They sat crouching behind metal waste can. A police car with a shining light drove by them and then it was out of sight.

"They're everywhere. I don't think we have any of choice but Honey Lane."

"How far away is that?" Belle asked.

"Not far. Right across the street and down a little. We'll have to run again, you ready?"

Belle nodded. He wrapped his one arm around her waist and they began to run. They made it across the street without any trouble and they crouched down as they continued along the road, using any form of covering to their advantage.

Finally, they reached Honey Lane, a quiet road with minimal lighting and only a few houses spread along it.

"I think we'll be alright around here. For the most part at least." He looked apprehensively around the street, moving at a slow pace as if getting a feel for his surroundings.

"Shouldn't we continue moving quickly? There's still a risk isn't there?" Belle asked him while tugging a bit on his hand.

"No. Sudden movements _here_ will attract attention to us. It's better to walk slowly."

Belle looked at him speculatively. "Is there someone specifically that you are afraid of running into?"

He glanced over at her, and then leaned in closely. "I'm afraid of running into anyone Belle. And here's some advice about this place. Trust no one. No one but me."

"What about your friend? Can I trust him?"

"Her. And no. Not yet at least."

They continued moving at a sluggish pace, past various manors' that ranged in size. Most were not too grand but all had a very Victorian look to them.

"They're all so beautiful. The houses."

Jefferson didn't answer nor acknowledge in any way that he heard her. He continued to look around the street, trying to spot any onlookers.

"How did they catch you?" Belle asked him. She had been curious about that for a while.

He sighed deeply and then took a break from watching the road and looked at her.

"You ask a lot of questions." Belle shrugged in response.

"I suppose it makes sense though. You have been trapped in that cell for many years."

Belle wanted to continue their conversation they were about to have back in the cell, but she thought there was a better time and place for that. This conversation would alleviate her curiosity for now.

"It's a very long story but I'll give you the quick version of it. I was running away from someone. Someone who I had come for in need of help and…well I wasn't given the response I had hoped for. I was nearly to the woods when a police officer stopped me and brought me in claiming that I was behaving suspiciously."

"Can he do that?"

"He did. Something you'll find out very quickly is that in this world whether something is right or wrong doesn't matter. People tend to look out for themselves over anyone else, whether it is the right thing to do or not. It's all about power."

Belle nodded, trying to take in what he was saying. It was hard for her to think such things about a place she had never been before. About an experience she has yet to live out. She had very limited encounters with people but what he was saying made sense so far. Most of them seem to have left their heart somewhere else.

"Anyway, the mayor seemed to think I was a danger to her town and instead of locking me up in jail, she deemed me mad, worthy of time spent in that sad excuse for an asylum."

"The mayor? Regina?" He nodded.

"I think she's the reason I was in there. She would pay me visits every now and then, just staring at me through the hatch on my door. Why would the mayor visit me?"

Jefferson smiled at her.

"Well you know don't you? You said you knew why I was there. Does it have to do with her?" Belle pleaded.

"I think that you don't give yourself enough credit. You ask many questions that I believe you already know the answer to."

Belle took this in. So she was right. All along. It was the mayor.

"Regina is a cruel woman. If you are to take any of my advice with you it is that you never believe a word she says. She is a lying, deceitful witch and she will do anything to keep her power. You understand?" As he spoke he got more infuriated by each word he spat out.

"Yes. I understand."

His eyes glazed over, it was clear he had something on his mind. There was something more to this that he wasn't sharing.

"I am not crazy." He mumbled to himself.

The houses were starting to get closer together the further they made it down the street.

He began to look around again. "We are almost there." But he didn't say it in a way that would make it seem that this was a good thing. His words came out like a death wish. He gripped her hand tightly and they started to pick up their pace. Then Belle noticed that he kept his eyes on one house in particular.

It was a beautiful house; it had a Victorian design, with pink siding and green trimming.

"Who lives there?" She asked, admiring its beauty.

"The man who owns this entire town. His name's Mr. Gold. You'll want to avoid him. He has close ties with the mayor."

"Oh. Are they together?"

"No. They detest one another."

"But I thought you said they were close?"

"They are. But only because they both have similar methods in getting what they want. They manipulate. It's best to avoid the two of them completely."

"Got it." Belle said. She decided it was best to believe everything Jefferson was saying to her. He had no reason to lie.

They moved quickly past Mr. Gold's house. There didn't appear to be any lights on inside so it was safe to assume he was already in bed. But Jefferson wasn't taking any risks. He guided them into the yard of the neighbor who lived across from his house and they ducked behind the hedges.

"Sorry but it's best to be certain he can't see us." He muttered as they moved quickly across the lot.

Finally, they had made it far enough past Mr. Gold's home where they could move back onto the side walk.

"We should be fine now. Almost there."

Belle nodded. She was sort of enjoying the adrenaline rush. It made her feel more alive than she's ever felt before.

"This is working out much better than I…" Before Jefferson could finish his sentence a police car came flying around the corner, lights blazing, siren piercing the air.

"Oh no. Run!" Jefferson screamed as he clenched onto Belle's hand once more. They swept to the right, through a yard and out the other side. Belle took a quick glance back at the car following them but as she did she noticed that Mr. Gold's front room light was on and at the front porch stood a dark figure, watching them. She gasped and then continued to push herself as fast as she could. They were back on Main Street but there to greet them were four more police cars heading straight towards them, one merely a few yards away.

"This way!" He yelled over the sirens; they had never moved so fast. They were sprinting across the street, searching for an alleyway to escape to.

"Jefferson! What are we going to do?" Belle cried.

"Just run! Whatever you do don't stop!" She put as much power she could into her strides. Turning back briefly to see how close they were, she was surprised to see the one police car merely a few feet away now, capable of running her over if he felt it necessary. Jefferson turned back as well and once he realized how close it was, he swerved them quickly to the left, which threw him off, as they headed towards an alleyway in the distance.

They had almost reached it when Belle stepped on a sharp piece of stone and fell to the ground. The second she collapsed, Jefferson was right there to pick her up, swinging her into his arms. He continued running, making it into the alley just in time.

"Are you okay?" He asked, somewhat out of breath.

Belle, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, nodded into his vest. "Yeah I'm okay. Sorry."

"I can't believe they were on us that quickly. How the hell did they know where we were?" He asked quietly.

Belle had a feeling. "I think it was Mr. Gold. When we were running I turned back and I saw someone standing on his porch, watching."

Jefferson groaned in frustration. "Damnit."

Belle had never seen him this aggravated. He set her down and pounded his fists on the brick wall. He then leaned his head against it, closing his eyes as if entirely giving up on their plan.

"Jefferson it's fine. We can still make it."

"Their everywhere Belle. The second we step out of this alley they will have us surrounded. Then I will be thrown in jail and they will send you back to the asylum." Belle's heart dropped. No. There was no way she was going back there. Never again.

"What kind of attitude is that? Look Jefferson you've gotten us this far. Don't give up. We _will_ find a way to get to your friends house. How far from here does she live?"

He lifted his right arm and pointed straight and then over to the left. "About half a mile from here."

"That's not far at all! We just have to figure out a plan to get out of here without getting caught."

"Yeah well you better come up with something quickly because cops aren't obligated to just chase us in cars. They'll find us any second now."

Belle began to panic but then took a few deep breaths and tried to think of a plan.

She started to pace back and forth, hobbling slightly because of her hurt foot, while Jefferson continued to stand with his head against the brick wall.

After a minute of not coming up with anything she was about to give up as well. She leaned herself on the wall opposite of Jefferson and looked up at the sky, as if that would help inspire a brilliant idea. And it did.

Looking upwards she noticed that the building they were next to had a fire escape. There was a ladder not too unreachable attached to the wall with connecting railings for each floor of the building. If they were lucky, one of the windows might be open.

"Quick Jefferson lift me up." He slightly moved his head in response.

"What?" He mumbled

"Come on, come over here, lift me up." He finally turned towards her.

"Lift you up? Why?"

"Look!" She pointed to the ladder. He stared at it speculatively, feeling rather foolish for not noticing it before. He walked over to her, grabbed her by the waist and then slowly hoisted her up. She stretched as far as she could and eventually got a hold of the ladder.

"Give it a really hard pull." He told her. She tugged away at it several times but it wouldn't budge.

"I'm trying, but it won't work!"

"Keep going! You can do this Belle!"

She continued and with one final pull she got it to come down low enough for them to both climb on. They made their way up the ladder and onto the first platform. Jefferson yanked at the windowsill but it was no good. They were about to continue up when a loud voice caught their attention.

"They went this way!" Jefferson and Belle stared in horror at one another for a brief second and then flew up the next flight. They tried the second floor window. This one was locked as well. Belle was beginning to panic but Jefferson decided to act rashly. He began pounding on the window.

"Hello! Please open the window! Hello!" The voices were getting closer.

"Jefferson what are you doing? No one's going to open the window for some random man in the middle of the night!" But that didn't stop him. He continued to knock.

"You're going to draw attention to us!"

"That's the point. Hello! Anyone home?"

"Not from the police!"

The voices were right around the corner now. They were in trouble.

Jefferson stopped, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"We tried." Belle whispered.

The shadows began to approach them. They turned towards each other, both looking sympathetic for the other. When suddenly the window flew open and a hand grabbed Jefferson, tugging him inside. Then Belle was shooed in as well. Right in time.

They found themselves in a tiny, dark, one room apartment. Their savior was hiding in the shadows but it was clear it was a woman.

Jefferson stepped forward. "Thank you. We were…we're lost. This is Belle and I'm…"

"I know exactly who you are." She said in a quiet voice. Stepping slowly out from the shadow she revealed herself.

She was a petite girl, young, but tired looking. Her long, golden blond hair was pushed back with a black headband, revealing her pretty but weary face. She looked as if she hadn't slept in months. Belle was about to ask who she was but she didn't get a chance.

"Alice." Jefferson said quietly. His face was in a state of true disbelief, as if he was staring at a ghost.

"Hello. Mad Hatter."


	4. Chapter 4

Belle stood there, watching the two smile knowingly at each other. She assumed Mad Hatter was a nickname they had come up with at some point in time, since they clearly knew one another. She watched Jefferson slowly step forward and then grab Alice into a tight embrace. The two of them stood there holding one another for what felt like a few minutes. But Belle didn't want to interrupt the moment; they were so happy to see each other that it made her heart ache for that kind of reconciliation.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Jefferson whispered into Alice's hair.

"It's been a while." She said under her breath. They finally pulled back but Jefferson kept his hands on her shoulders, as though taking her all in.

Finally he collected himself and started to question how this was at all possible.

"Alice…what are you doing here? I thought you went back to your world?"

"Technically this is my world…or it was."

"What happened?"

She was about to say something but then she noticed Belle in the corner.

"What was your name?" She asked, stepping forward slightly.

"Belle." She answered sweetly.

"Hi Belle. I'm Alice. An old friend of…Jefferson's."

Jefferson laughed to himself. It was strange hearing her call him by that name. He wasn't used to it.

"You must be freezing, here come with me I'll find you some clothes." She reached out her hand and guided Belle into her bedroom, which was simply a few curtains hung up to section off the room.

"Make yourself at home," She called back to Jefferson as she looked through her drawers.

She held up a light blue sweater and a pair of black pants.

"Here put these on." She handed the clothes to Belle and gave her the room to change.

"Thank you." Belle said gratefully. She stared at the clothes; it had been a long time since she'd worn actual clothing, so far back she couldn't even remember.

She got changed, appreciating the warmth and softness of the sweater against her skin. Stepping out from the curtain she realized she had just walked in on a serious conversation Jefferson and Alice were having. She stood awkwardly in the corner, not wanting to interrupt them but at the same time curious as what they were talking about. She moved herself behind the curtain once more and listened closely. She felt bad for eavesdropping but it was hard to resist.

"I don't understand how that's possible. You should have been taken back to this world…" Jefferson said wearingly. It was clear whatever they were talking about was causing him anxiety.

"I don't either. I did everything I was told to leave Wonderland. But it…it sent me _there_ instead."

Jefferson gently squeezed her hand. "I am so sorry Alice. If I'd have known I would have…"

"You wouldn't have been able to do anything. Mad…I mean Jefferson, you were trapped there. Nothing could have been done. I suspect the Queen of Hearts had something to do with it…"

"That's sounds about right. But why would she want you there? What was the purpose of sending you to Regina's land?"

"Probably as punishment. She separated me from my family, from my life, just as Regina has done to everyone here in Storybrook."

"So you were in that land for…what twelve years? That means you're 19?"

"Just about. And of course I spent another 28 here. So technically I'm 47." She chuckled to herself, Jefferson joined in.

"Yeah well if we are thinking like that I'm afraid to even know how old I really am." They laughed together.

"Wow. Has it only been 28 years? Feels like we've been trapped here much longer."

Alice nodded, gazing off across the room.

"Have you seen anyone else from Wonderland here?" He asked her.

She shrugged.

"I haven't seen anyone. Or perhaps I just haven't been looking. You don't think…_she's_ here do you?" He asked.

Alice took a moment to answer. Then she looked down at her lap. "I actually work with a few of her guards. We are over at the Kingdom of Hearts Banquet Hall. I haven't seen her though. Who knows if she's even here?"

"Ah. Kingdom of Hearts Banquet Hall huh? I would say that's ironic but everything here seems to fall into place. I underestimated Regina's creativity, so many connections," Jefferson said.

"Indeed. Believe it or not the guards and I actually get along quite well over there. Never though I'd say this but they aren't so bad." Alice looked coyly at Jefferson, who stared at her in disbelief.

"You are joking right?" He asked, but it was evident by his expression that he knew she was being honest.

"If you'd just get to know them…"

"Oh I know them! Alice I've spent years in Wonderland! I've been surrounded by that scum for far too long. They aren't good people. They're dangerous…" He grabbed onto her wrists, trying to get his point across.

"They aren't the same here. What threat could they possibly be, especially without the Queen here…"

He let her go, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and said, "You always knew how to find trouble. Haven't changed one bit, have you?" He smiled slightly. She returned the gesture.

"Enough about what I've been up to. What have you been doing?" She asked.

He didn't seem too keen in talking about himself. "Trying desperately to get the hat to work, as usual."

Alice stared at him sympathetically. She reached out her hand and rubbed is arm.

"You never found Grace?"

"Oh no I did. She's with them. Her new family. For the best I suppose, I don't want her to know about the curse. She's better off with them here. But I _will_ find a way to back to our world. Somehow." He starred off, deep in thought.

"If I can help in any way…"

"Thanks. But there's someone else's help I need." He moved his eyes back to Alice, communicating something through his look. Alice raised an eyebrow in return.

"Who…"

"Not right now. Another time." He told her. She was noticeably disappointed.

"So who's...?" She pointed back towards the curtains.

"Found her locked in the asylum underneath the hospital. Regina's little secret."

"Are you serious? What does Regina want with her?"

Belle's heart started to pound. This was it, everything could be explained right now.

"I don't know," Jefferson said. "But I plan on finding out."

Belle furrowed her brow in confusion. And this wasn't the first time while overhearing this conversation she did so. He had told her he knew why she was there. Was he lying to Alice or to her?

"Do you have a plan? Or are you just making it up along the way as you did so brilliantly in Wonderland?" She smiled at him. But he remained serious.

"No I do. But it needs some tweaking. Care to help me with that?"

"I'm all yours." Alice leaned in close, waiting for Jefferson to explain the plan but he was aware that they weren't the only two people in this conversation.

"Belle. Are you dressed?" He called to her. Alice blinked a few times, as if she had completely forgotten she was still back there.

Belle had so many questions, she didn't know where to begin. She slowly made her way out, feeling uncomfortable as they both stared at her. Did they know she had been listening?

"Alice and I were just discussing our living arrangements. She has generously offered us a place to stay as long as we need." Alice looked at him, puzzled, but she didn't deny anything. She turned towards Belle and smiled, knowing that this was going to help Jefferson and she was willing to do whatever it took.

Belle smiled back, but on the inside she felt sick. He lied again, the one persons she thought she could trust. They weren't discussing the living arrangements at all, why was he hiding things from her?

"I'll go make up a couple beds for you." Alice said, walking over to the linen closet to fetch some sheets.

Belle eyed Jefferson with distrust. He got up, giving Alice room to make up the beds on the couches and stood directly in front of Belle, smiling, as if they weren't fugitives on the run and instead everything was perfect.

"What about your friends house?" Belle whispered quietly.

Jefferson took a second to answer and then shrugged. "We don't need her anymore I guess." He tapped Belle lightly on the shoulder and made his way over to the kitchen.

He searched the cabinets and eventually found what he was looking for, a teapot and a few teacups.

"Time for tea!" He called out, causing Alice to giggle while Belle continued to stand there, mystified by what she had overheard and seeing a completely new side to Jefferson. His nickname was taking on a whole new meaning; the only thing that was actually making sense to her right now, maybe he was mad…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Belle awoke to sound of soft whispers. She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to accept the fact that it was morning yet. It felt like just an hour ago she had fallen asleep. It had been a restless night. The couch was undoubtedly more comfortable than the bench she has been sleeping on, but she couldn't stop her mind from racing.

"She would do it. She would help us, trust me." Jefferson whispered to Alice. They were sitting on the couch to which he supposedly slept on, though it looked like it hadn't been touched.

"I trust _you_ Jefferson but I don't know her. I can't put everything we have worked for at risk! If she messes this up…"

"She won't. It can't hurt to have an extra person. Besides, her hatred for the Queen is nearly as strong as mine. Regina's the reason she's been locked away for 28 years. She'll want to do this."

Belle moved slightly, anxious to find out what they were talking about.

"Good morning Belle." Jefferson said kindly, as he placed a cup of tea in front of her.

"Good morning." She said, picking up the cup and taking a sip.

"How did you sleep?" Alice asked.

"Wonderful, thank you." She lied.

Jefferson and Alice sat there silently for a minute, exchanging glances, deciding who was going to bring up what they wanted to ask.

"Well, I have to go to work. I'll see you both when I return." Alice got up, grabbed her bag and went out the door. Jefferson slumped in the couch, sighing.

He then pushed himself back up and sat next to Belle. He grabbed her hand lightly and looked right into her eyes, trying desperately to think of the best way to start the conversation.

"So."

"So." Belle said back.

He took a deep breath, "So Alice was telling me about this event that's happening at the place she works in two weeks. A…a masquerade of some sort. It's the first year they are doing it, it's to raise money for the town. They've had a lot of crimes in Storybrook lately. I guess we aren't really helping." He laughed to himself. Belle continued to look at him, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"Anyway. I…I think we should go."

Belle's eyebrows furrowed, she stared at him, baffled.

"Are you craz…I mean, are you serious? You can't actually think we can go to this ball."

"Masquerade," He corrected "And why not? Everyone will be wearing masks…"

"That doesn't matter Jefferson, they could easily pick us out of the crowd. It's not worth the risk! You really want to be thrown in jail over a masquerade?"

Jefferson looked down at his lap, twiddling his empty teacup.

"There's more to it isn't there?" Belle asked once she realized he had something on his mind.

"Yes. There is. You see Alice and I were up late last night talking in the kitchen. And she…well she let me in on a plan of hers. Something she has been working on for a while now. I think you might be interested." He paused, waiting to gage how intrigued she was so far. Belle remained unmoved, but inside she was eager to know what this plan entailed.

"If you could do anything…anything at all, what would you do?" He asked. Belle thought for a moment.

"I would want to see the world." She said. The longing in her voice even surprised her.

This caught Jefferson off guard. He cleared his throat, "Okay. Okay, well how about if you had to stay in Storybrook? What would you really want to do in Storybrook? Who would you want to meet?" He egged her on.

"I don't know…is there someone I should want to meet?"

He shrugged.

"Oh out with it Jefferson, what is this about?"

"The mayor? Regina? Wouldn't you want to meet the woman who has kept you locked away in an asylum for no reason? Wouldn't you want to make her pay for what she has put you through?"

"Pay? Jefferson what exactly are you two planning?"

He took another deep breath, trying to figure out how to best explain what they wanted to do.

"We…we want to kill Regina. We want retribution for all the suffering she has put us through!"

"Something tells me she did more to you then you initially let on. Why do you _really_ hate her?" Belle asked, placing her hand on his thigh.

"It's…it's too long of a story."

"We have all the time we need. Tell me."

Jefferson internally debated trying to explain everything to her. This meant trying to make her believe that she is from another world where magic exists and that a curse has been placed on this entire town. The chances of her believing it were very small.

And yet there she was, waiting doe eyed and curious for the truth. If she wanted him to tell her everything, he could.

"Alright. I'll try to explain this the best I can without confusing you too much, although that's really impossible. You can't laugh okay? Just hear me out." Belle scooted closer to him, waiting anxiously.

"We don't belong here. You, me, Alice, and almost everyone here in this town are from another world; a world filled with magic. I know your name is Belle because where I have lived for the past decade or so, is a place called Wonderland. In this world, stories pass through from other lands and I happen to hear a lot of tales. " He paused for a second, waiting for her to start laughing, but she didn't. She was listening intently.

"Your father was a King, but he suffered greatly from the Ogre Wars. What I've heard is that he gave you up in exchange for help. I'm a bit cloudy on the details about this but I know that you wound up on your own, without a home, moving from village to village. Regina, the Queen in this land, captured you and had you declared mentally unstable. Since then you've been locked away. During this time there were many other troubles happening, all of which Regina was responsible for. In her hatred towards her stepdaughter she placed a curse on everyone. This curse extended to multiple lands, including Wonderland, and it placed everyone here in Storybrook. We've been trapped here for 28 years, where time has stood still. Until only recently, time has begun to start moving once more. No one can come here, and no one can leave or bad things will happen. I know it sounds very cryptic but I'm going off of stories here. It sounds crazy, and I know that. I don't expect you to believe me or Alice but we must destroy the Queen. I think it's the only way to get back to where we came from. And we need your help."

He took a deep breath, waiting anxiously for Belle's reaction. Her faced hadn't moved once during his explanation. He could just imagine what was going through her mind. Him being even crazier than she thought, that he should have been in the asylum instead of her, that her life is in danger here and that she should try to escape from this mentally ill man as soon as possible.

"You never told me why _you_ hate her." He sat there stunned. Where was the laughter? The disbelief? The accusations of being a madman?

"You believe me?" He asked her.

"Who am I to say that it isn't true? You've been completely honest with me so far right?" She asked, seeing whether or not he would admit to the lies he told her.

"Of course." He said, smiling widely and holding onto her hand tightly.

He began to laugh pleasantly, for once. "I can't…wow. Just wow, this is amazing. I never expected this kind of reaction. I'm not used to it."

Belle decided to continue playing into his little game. "Well it's understandable. You are talking about magical lands and curses." She said, smiling slightly.

"Yes but the fact that you believe me, without needing any proof. It's a mind-blowing feeling."

Belle continued smiling, "So tell me, what did this Queen do to you?"

"Regina. She um…well she tricked me to going into Wonderland with her. And left me there to rot, forcing me to abandon my daughter Grace in her land. I've been trying to get back ever since. Grace is here now, but her name is Paige in this world and she's with another family. We still have a chance of being together if we can break this curse. But it's…it's complicated."

"Well what needs to happen?"

"Alice thinks killing Regina will break the curse. Personally, I'm not sure that is all it will take but it's worth a shot. Look here, you see this line across my neck? That's from the Queen of Hearts. She ruled Wonderland and as punishment for asking her to release me she cut off my head. I'm honestly not sure who is worse her or Regina." He chuckled to himself. Belle observed the scar, noticing how it wrapped itself completely around his neck. She thought this was peculiar, but it didn't prove anything. Besides, she had never heard of anyone getting his head cut off and surviving.

In truth, she was frustrated. All this time she believed that Jefferson knew what he was talking about, that he could tell her things she needed to know about her past. And all this time he really was crazy. Magic, curses, it was all a rouse. He wanted something from her, but she didn't know what. The only way she would find out would be to go along with his madness.

"So why do you need my help? What does this plan involve?"

"Training. A lot of training in combat and self-defense. Alice has been working with the former guards of the Queen of Hearts who she is employed with at the banquet hall. I'm not keen to the idea of working with them since they were unbearable in Wonderland, but she seems to know what she's doing."

"If Regina is as powerful as you say she is, than how do you expect to defeat her through combat? It sounds to me like it will take much more than that." Belle said. Jefferson nodded.

"I agree. She was capable of terrible things. But here, not so much. No, I don't think she has retained her power here. Her authority, yes, but magic, no.

"I'm not sure if I'll be any help. You could do this without me…"

"No we can't. Trust me Belle you are an essential piece to the plan."

"How's that?"

"I told you before. You're special." Jefferson continued to gaze into her eyes. Slowly he raised his hand and brushed her cheek. Her eyes widened slightly as a look came over Jefferson's face she had never seen before.

He slowly began to inch his face closer to hers, never breaking eye contact. She didn't know what to do. She didn't feel that way for Jefferson, as handsome as he was. It felt…strange. Like they weren't meant to feel romantically towards one another.

As his lips got closer to hers she knew she had to think fast. She moved her head slightly to the left, causing Jefferson's lips to brush against her cheek instead. He kissed her there anyway and than sighed to himself.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, no Jefferson I'm flattered. I just…I don't think that's the best idea right now."

He stared at her for a while, trying to decide whether he agreed.

"You're right. No, you're…you're definitely right, that wasn't appropriate." He got up and walked over to the kitchen. Belle sat there, feeling sorry that she rejected him. But she couldn't change how she felt; there was just something about him that threw her off.

An hour later Jefferson was passed out on the couch, snoring quietly. Belle decided since Alice wouldn't be home for at least another few hours, that she would take a look around the apartment. She explored the kitchen; nothing out of the ordinary was found there. She then decided to move to the "bedroom".

She hadn't really taken it in last time she was there. Looking at it now she realized that it was actually very tidy and cute for being made out of curtains. She searched for anything that would tell her that Alice suffered from some sort of mental illness that would explain her and Jefferson's behavior.

She opened the top drawer of her dresser and looked around the clothing. She didn't find any medicine but she did find random items scattered within the box. There was a deck of cards, a clock watch, a small copper statue of a peculiar looking cat. She didn't think twice about them and moved onto the next drawer. Nothing was there. She then looked in the bottom one, and there she found exactly what she was looking for.

A small orange pill bottle laid on the far right side of the drawer. She picked it up and read the label. It was for anti-depressants. She opened up the bottle, the pills looked familiar. The more she inspected them the more she realized they appeared to be the same pills she took in the asylum. But finding these didn't mean Alice was crazy, it just meant she was depressed. And if these were the same pills she was given, then she really wasn't crazy. They were treating her for depression.

Belle was about to close the drawer when she noticed a white piece of lined paper folded underneath a pair of shorts. She knew this wasn't right, that she shouldn't be invading Alice's privacy, but she needed answers. Carefully, she pulled out the paper and unfolded it. Written on every line until the bottom of the page were the words, _Don't Leave Storybrook_. Belle stared bewildered at the paper. Did Alice write this?

"What are you doing?" Belle jumped up and spun around to see Jefferson standing behind her. She couldn't make out any words so he stepped forward and first took the bottle out of her hand and then the paper. He stared at the words on the sheet, appearing just as perplexed as she had been. Then he opened the bottle and took out a pill, inspecting it closely.

"These aren't anti-depressants."

Belle's eyes widened, "They aren't. What are they?"

Jefferson was about to answer but a loud knock came from the front door. They stared at each other, frozen in place. Jefferson slowly stepped out from the curtain, with Belle following closely behind.

Another few hard knocks, "Police, open up." Their hearts dropped. Jefferson swung around, looking for places to hide.

Belle began to panic, "Wait they…they can't come in without a search warrant right?" In the middle of Jefferson's search he turned to her, giving a look as if to suggest that they would enter regardless.

Suddenly he stood up straight and faced the window they had entered. He pointed at it and then grabbed Belle. They scurried out onto the fire escape, staying as far as possible from the window. Jefferson peeked into the apartment, which was now housing four police officers.

"Miss Liddell?" One police officer asked the room.

"She's obviously not here, this is the whole apartment." Another replied sarcastically.

"Search the place. She believes they might be here. Turn this place over." The tallest officer said as he began tearing the place apart.

The rest followed, looking under the beds, in the closets, and even in the cabinets.

"They wouldn't leave would they?"

"I doubt they would be that foolish. But who knows, they are crazy."

"There's no sign of them. Should we leave a note for Miss Liddell explaining what happened?"

"No just leave it like this. Let's go." The tall officer said as he kicked over a teacup.

When they were sure the police were gone Belle and Jefferson came back into the apartment. They stared solemnly at the apartment, feeling awful about the mess. Even though they didn't do it, they each felt partly responsible.

Belle immediately began to clean, sweeping up anything broken. Jefferson put the furniture back together as best he could. Fortunately nothing was too damaged.

Neither of them spoke a word the whole time. When they had finished a couple hours later, the two of them sat together on the one couch, staring at the picture of a white rabbit hanging on the wall.

"I feel awful." Belle said softly.

"How the hell did she figure it out?" Jefferson asked, aggravated.

"She…you mean Regina?"

He nodded. "They were definitely referring to her. She's the only one that would send them to look here. She must have assumed that I would find Alice."

Belle sat quietly listening to his theories. He mumbled to himself for a few minutes; most of it was incoherent.

Alice walked through the door, stopping his ramblings short. They both smiled wearily at her. At first it didn't appear she noticed but then as she really looked around she picked up the slight differences.

"What did you guys do, throw a party?" She smiled slightly.

"The police came here looking for us. They searched the whole apartment while we hid on the fire escape. Regina suspects we are here."

Alice look dumbfounded, "What…that's impossible, why would she…"

"She knows we were close in Wonderland. That's the only reasoning I could think of. But they didn't find us so hopefully that will be the last time we see them around here."

Alice nodded and then spun towards the door, as if waiting for someone. All of sudden footsteps could be heard coming from down the hall.

Jefferson stood up. "Who's here?"

Alice gave a reluctant smile, "Don't be mad."

At that moment six burly men walked through the door. Alice stepped towards Jefferson, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards them. "This is Theo, Sam, Kent…"

"I know who they are." Jefferson said coldly. She stared at him with discontent. Then she moved her focus to Belle who was still sitting on the couch, overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of their guests.

"You may know them Jefferson but Belle doesn't. Belle this is Theo, Sam, Kent, Frank, Nick, and Mac.

The men didn't smile but nodded towards her. They then refocused themselves on Jefferson, not appearing too pleased to see him either.

"Guys be nice. We aren't in Wonderland anymore. You can be civil to one another."

But they remain unmoved.

"We all have a common goal. To destroy the Queen right?"

This finally got them to relax a bit. One of them, Mac, said, "As long as he doesn't try anything sneaky with us there won't be any problems." The other men grumbled in agreement. Mac was tall, like the others, with jet-black hair that was matted to his head. There was no denying he was probably the strongest and most threatening looking out of all of them.

"He won't. We have to work as a team or this will fall apart. We only have one shot at this." Alice said to the room. They all knew she was right. This had to work or they would all face dire consequences.

"What are we waiting for? Let's begin the training." Nick said.

"Wait. Belle doesn't know the plan." Jefferson said. A few of the men rolled their eyes.

"I thought you were going to explain it to her today!" Alice scoffed.

"I was…I did! I didn't want to overwhelm her. She knows about the curse."

Alice looked pleased to here this. She glanced over at Belle, curious as to whether she really believed them. She stepped slowly towards her.

"You understand everything? Why we have to do this?"

Belle nodded.

"You realize the risk we are taking? This must work or we are all doomed."

"I understand. Just tell me what to do." Belle said calmly,

"First things first, you'll want to change." Alice told her.

"Change, into what?"

"Sweatpants, a lose top, and sneakers." Alice nodded to the men and they began to move the furniture so that there was a large, clear space in the middle of the room.

"Why?" Belle asked.

Alice stepped towards her. "Because." She turned back towards the men, who had lined themselves up near the wall, and smiled back at her. "You have to learn to fight.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Belle woke with a start. It was dark; she could barely make out Jefferson's form resting on the couch across from her. She glanced over at the clock in the kitchen, it was 3:40am. She was about to attempt to fall back to sleep when she heard a noise coming from the bedroom area. It was a slow creak, as if someone was tiptoeing around.

"Alice?" Belle whispered. She sat up, looking around the room. No one answered so she started towards where she heard the noise.

"Alice is that you?" Once again there was no answer. She made her way slowly towards the curtains. The noise continued.

Her curiosity was getting the best of her, she gently pulled one side of the curtain and peeked in. Alice wasn't there nor was anyone else. _That was strange_, she thought. Where could Alice be?

Suddenly a loud pounding came from the front door. He heart dropped as she froze in place. Who could that possible be? One of the guys?

She looked over at the lump on the couch, waiting for Jefferson to wake up from the sound, but he didn't. The pounding continued.

Hesitantly, she approached the door. Whoever it was really wanted to get in here. Perhaps someone was in trouble and needed help. She thought about waking Jefferson up, but he was clearly sound asleep. Conjuring up all the nerve she could, Belle removed the chain and opened the door.

No one was there. This didn't make any sense. She began to peek her head out when all of a sudden she felt an arm wrap around her throat, dragging her back into the apartment. She tried to think of all the training she had learned these past two weeks but whoever it was had a strong grasp on her. With little success she tried to scream out for help or at least see who it was that had her, but it was no use.

The person stopped, whispered in her ear, "You're in trouble now." At that moment, a woman walked into the room. Her hair black and short, her eyes dark and threatening, striding in with such poise and fervor, it was impossible to not know who she was. Regina had found them.

A malicious smile spread on her face as she approached Belle.

"Well, well, well look who we have here. You really thought I wouldn't find you?" She raised an eyebrow, watching Belle struggle against her assailant.

"There's no point in struggling Belle. You're not getting away this time." Belle remembered Jefferson laying on the couch, hoping that he would wake up. However, as she looked over at the couch she saw that it was empty. Putting the pieces together, she noticed that Jefferson's ring was on the man who had his arm her neck.

"Jefferson! Jefferson please!" She cried as she spun herself around enough to see that it was he who attacked her. His face was emotionless and unaffected by her pleads.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping her?" She begged for answers, but his only response was tightening his grip. Her training was useless against him, he was prepared for her every move. When she tried to elbow him in ribs, he moved in time and pinned her arm behind her. She attempted to head butt him but he was able to avoid getting hit.

Regina moved so that she was inches away from Belle. Then she grasped her face in her hands, taking in Belle's pain with utter joy.

"I can't wait to have you back in the asylum. You're in for a few surprises." A cruel smile formed as she let her go and directed Jefferson to bring her out.

Belle began to scream, twisting and turning as much as she could to break loose but it was no use.

"Help! No please! Alice! Help me!"

But all she could hear was Jefferson's insane laugh in her ears.

Then it stopped and she felt herself being shook.

"Belle. Belle wake up," she heard softly in her ear. Her eyes flung open and then she jumped back. Jefferson was sitting in front of her, confused and worried.

"Hey, hey relax. You were having a bad dream." He stroked her arm lightly, trying to calm her down.

It was a dream. Just a dream. She took a deep breath and smiled to herself.

"I'm sorry. It was terrible. Regina was here and she was going to take me back to the asylum. And you were working with her." Jefferson chuckled.

"That's absolutely absurd."

"I know. I know, I'm not sure what brought that on. I guess I'm just nervous for tomorrow."

"It's understandable. We've put a lot of preparation into this, but everything will be fine. " Belle smiled and leaned forward, embracing him gently. He rubbed her back.

"I promise you no matter what you will not go back into that asylum. I won't allow it." He comforted her.

"I can't believe it came so soon. Felt like just yesterday you were telling me about the plan."

"It does. But we are ready."

"What…what if it doesn't work? What if she figures out it's us before…"

"Don't think like that. It's a flawless plan; they have been working on it for years now. Besides, you and I have the easiest job."

Belle wasn't sure if she agreed with that. They were the ones being exposed to the public. They were the ones dressing up and putting on a show. But she supposed what he meant by it was that they weren't the ones doing the actual killing. That was going to be left up to Alice and the men.

"We've practiced over and over. We are prepared for any surprises. It has to work." Jefferson assured again. But Belle could tell there was a slight tremble in his voice. He was worried too.

They let go of their embrace, smiling reassuringly to one another. Jefferson then got up and put the television on. Walking over to the kitchen, he began making some tea. Belle began to flip through the channels aimlessly, looking for something that would take her mind off the next day.

However, as she clicked through, an image on the screen caught her eye. She flipped back to the channel. It was the local news channel for Storybrook and there staring back at her was Jefferson's face.

"Jeff…Jefferson! Look!" She screamed over to him. He stopped what he was doing and slowly made his way over to her, staring at himself on the screen.

"What the…" He began.

"Local resident Jefferson Balin is still missing after taking a young mentally-ill patient hostage two weeks ago. Police continue the search but no new leads have been found. However, Emma Swan, acting sheriff of Storybrook, continues to stay hopeful that the culprit will be found and that the hostage is still alive."

Jefferson's picture was replaced by footage of an interview with Emma Swan, a pretty blond woman who looked uncomfortable being on camera.

"We are continuing the search and every effort is being put forth in finding this man. But we still could use all the help we can get so if anyone has seen or heard anything please report it to the police immediately." She said, attempting not to look directly at the camera.

Belle looked over at Jefferson, unsure of what to say. It was clear he was baffled at what he had just seen but there was also anger. He looked enraged at the screen, as if he was about to kick it over. Belle gently touched his arm.

"I can't believe they think you kidnapped me…where would they have gotten this story from?" She asked. He didn't answer right away.

Then he finally said, "I have a few ideas." He stood up and went back to the kitchen. Belle followed.

"Care to explain?" Belle asked, a bit frustrated herself.

"What's there to explain? Clearly I'm the insane psychopath that captured a poor mentally ill girl who I am now holding hostage or doing God knows what to. Damnit!" He yelled, knocking over a cup. He leaned forward into the counter, with his head down. Belle wasn't sure what to say.

"It's…it's not true though. Who cares what they report? You and I know the truth…"

"Yes but what they report will have detrimental effects on how our plan works out tomorrow night. They put my picture on the news." He said quietly.

Belle hadn't thought about that.

"It wasn't a big deal when only a few people had known my face but now the whole town is going to be on the look out. Who knows how long they have been showing my face! I didn't think to look at the news, I didn't even imagine they would still be looking for us! This…this isn't good."

Belle walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. There was no way she was going to let all their hard work be ruined because of this.

"Well.. Then I guys we are going to have to get you a really great mask." He looked over at her, she was smiling. He returned the smile and then nodded.

"You're right. The show must go on." He leaned in close to her, pressing his forehead against hers and sighing. Then the expression came back, the one he had a couple weeks ago when he had tried to kiss her. Since then he had kept his distance, never trying to make her feel uncomfortable.

She wasn't sure why, maybe it was because she was nervous for tomorrow night, or because she felt sorry about what just happened but she didn't know if she wanted to stop him this time. He stared into her eyes, and she returned the gaze. They continued this for several seconds. Jefferson was waiting for something, an approval, a sign to continue, a sign to stop. She did neither, so he took a chance once more and leaned his lips close to hers. This time they touched. She didn't move back, didn't push him away. As strange as it felt, she didn't want him to stop.

His lips were smooth, warm, and they felt wonderful against hers. She couldn't remember ever being this close to anyone and in all honesty she craved it. She returned his kiss, leaning in closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hand in her hair, running his fingers gently through it while the other hand rested on her cheek.

The longer they kissed, the more passionate they got. Jefferson softly pressed her against the wall, moving his one arm to her waist. She touched his soft hair, pushing him closer to her. He sighed against her lips, only stopping briefly now and again for air. Neither of them at that moment was keen to stopping.

However, the front door opened abruptly and Alice stood there watching the two of them falter as they tried to hide what they had just been doing. She stared at them, surprised, and then smiled slightly.

"Sorry to interrupt." Belle smiled back, embarrassed but not ashamed. Jefferson on the other hand looked uncomfortable.

He moved away and continued making tea. Belle began to walk towards Alice, eyeing the large , flat bags she had in her arm.

"What are those?" She asked.

"These are your outfits for tomorrow night." She laid them over the arm of the couch and then took out two masks. Belle stepped closer to take a look.

Her mask was black and beautifully embroidered with gold and black beads as well as intricate lace designs. It was gorgeous. She then looked over at Jefferson's, which was much larger with one half of the face having more skin covered then the other. It was the perfect size to conceal him enough where no one could identify him. _Even Regina will have trouble recognizing him_, she thought.

"Alice these are perfect!" She praised. Alice smiled back.

"This will work out perfectly for Jefferson. We need him to be exceptionally concealed. You won't believe this but they have his picture up on the local news station!" Belle told her.

Alice looked unmoved.

"Oh I know. It's been in the papers as well." Suddenly a crash came from the kitchen, Jefferson had dropped another cup.

He slowly turned towards her. "You knew? You knew what they were saying about me this whole time and you never said anything?" He asked her, clutching onto the counter.

"Of course I did. What difference does it make?" She said coolly.

Jefferson was stunned. "What…what difference does it make? It makes all the difference! People are looking for me! They know my face now!" He gestured at himself, looking as if he'd just been betrayed.

"Hence the mask that I bought you. Honestly Jefferson you need to relax. Everything is under control." He continued to stare at her, confounded by her blasé outlook on the situation.

Alice lifted up the bag with his tux in it and revealed it to him, smiling widely, hoping this would make him feel much better.

"Do you like it?" She asked. It was all black, just as he preferred, with a gold tie to match the specks in Belle's mask.

He didn't answer.

"Well I think you'll look wonderful in it." She laid it down gently and then picked up the other, much larger bag. As she unzipped it, gorgeous black and gold material was revealed. She lifted it up, showing its entirety; Belle stepped back in awe. The dress was strapless, with a black lace corset top that faded into gold sparkles as it made its way to the waist. Then it flowed out into an intricate four-layered gown. The sheer black chiffon spilled over black lace, attached with a large black bow in the back. The front of the dress was gold with elaborate beading and sparkles that reflected the light. It was the most beautiful dress Belle had ever seen. She gently touched the fabric, admiring its beauty.

"Alice…Alice this is…"

"I know right. It's perfect."

Jefferson stepped forward, taking it in as well. He analyzed it for a few seconds then turned towards Alice.

"Could you pick a more conspicuous dress? We are trying to _not_ draw attention to ourselves." He spat at her.

She rolled her eyes.

"Jefferson we are trying not to draw attention to _you_. Therefore we make her look like a princess and the problem is solved. They won't be able to take their eyes off her, giving you a chance to go along unnoticed and get away when needed." She had made an excellent point, Jefferson knew it too. But he wasn't going to admit it.

He rolled his eyes and sat on the couch.

Belle continued to stare at the dress, closely examining just how glamorous it really was. Then she thought of something.

"Alice…how did you get this? It had to be very expensive."

Alice didn't make eye contact, "Oh. Yes it was. But it's all worth it." She smiled slightly and then carried everything into the bedroom. Something wasn't right. But Belle tried not to linger on it. She sat herself next to Jefferson who seemed distracted.

"Hey. It'll all work out perfect. I have a good feeling about this." She said to him. He turned towards her without saying anything.

She all of sudden felt very tired. She rested her head on Jefferson's shoulder, while he gently ran his fingers through her hair. After about ten minutes she was fast asleep.

Alice came out of the room, hands on her hips, staring at the two of them, clearly irritated. She went over and pulled him away. He tried to get her to let go so he could lay Belle down gently so she wouldn't wake up. Alice motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.

Once he was able to rest her on the couch, he made his way over. He knew she was angry and he had an inkling as to why.

"What do you think you're doing?" She whispered angrily at him.

"Alice don't start…"

"Don't start! Jefferson you are going to ruin everything! You're letting your emotions get involved…"

"No I'm not!"

"Oh so kissing her isn't getting emotionally involved?"

"No…it's…it's not like that."

"Right. If you ruin this I swear!"

"I'm not going to ruin anything! There's nothing going on between us."

"Oh please I've seen the way you look at her. Honestly, I'm happy for you. But this couldn't happen at a worse time. You and I both know how dangerous involving emotions can be when following through with plans. I need your word that you will do your job as we've discussed."

He took a moment to answer, looking back at Belle.

"Jefferson!"

"Yes. I swear. I would do anything for you Alice, you know that."

She didn't look as if she really believed that, but nodded anyway.

Jefferson decided to change the subject.

"So. You bought the dress huh?" He eyed her suspiciously.

She smiled knowingly, "Not exactly."

"I didn't realize you took on stealing as a new hobby."

"I didn't. But I can't speak for the guards."

Jefferson laughed softly. "Should have known."

Alice shrugged, not wanting to give more details on the matter. She began to walk away but Jefferson blocked her.

"While she's asleep I did want to discuss something else with you. Something that's been bothering me." He said. Alice nodded, appearing a bit concerned.

"I know why I remember everything. But why do you remember?"

"Well tell me something Jefferson. What is your theory as to why you remember? Why all the guards remember?"

"I suppose because we were Wonderland. I assumed that since we weren't technically in Regina's land the curse sent us here but didn't completely take hold. Part of our punishment is knowing what we have lost."

Alice stared at him, trying to figure out if he was being honest.

"So are you going to tell me or no?" He asked her.

"Honestly, I don't know. I've tried to figure it out for a while now. I have a few theories, some connect it back to the Queen of Hearts, others to Wonderland as a whole, but I don't know for sure. If I spent my time worrying about it than nothing would get done." Jefferson nodded.

He began to head towards the couch when Alice grabbed onto his arm. He turned back.

"Thank you," She said to him. "For everything."

"Anything for Alice." He grinned.

He turned back towards the couch where Belle was laying, and his smile faded. Tomorrow was going to be a very long night.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to thank you for reading and for the comments, keep them coming! Wanted to assure you that this was the last chapter without the typical once upon a time characters. The next one is going to involve much more of the main characters as will the rest of the story! So much drama! Hope you enjoy


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Belle stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, letting the reflection set in. She had never felt beautiful; she never even really thought about her looks. Now and again she would catch a glimpse of herself in a mirror and note how exhausted she appeared or how pale her complexion was, but she never dwelled on it. However, staring at herself in the mirror now, she was almost unrecognizable.

Alice had done her hair and make-up to perfection. Her usual slightly dull, wavy hair was now shiny and pulled back into an intricate bun, with soft wisps hanging in the front. Her face had color to it now and her eyes popped against the golden shadow. Finally, the dress, which fit seamlessly, made her look like a princess. It was difficult for her not to smile.

"Belle, how does it look?" Alice asked from the living room.

She opened the curtain, lifting up the dress as she walked, and revealed herself to Alice and Jefferson, both of whom were already dressed and ready. When she stepped out, Alice's face broke out into a huge smile as she got to see all her hard work pay off. She stepped forward and grabbed Belle's hands, spinning her slowly around.

"Belle you look incredible! I am a genius." She laughed.

"You truly are." Belle agreed, and then looked over at Jefferson. He stood there, handsome as ever, like a true gentleman. The suit fit him nicely and the tie accented his eyes. Belle smiled at him, and he smiled back; he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"You look…spectacular." He said as he stepped towards her. He took one of her gloved hands and kissed it.

She couldn't help but giggle to herself, she felt giddy for the first time. At that moment she tried to appreciate what she had and ignore the nerves that had kept her up all night.

"Well you look very, very handsome." She told him, he smiled.

"Yes, you both look wonderful! But let's not forget what we are doing here okay?"

She walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed the masks.

"Now let's see the completed look." She said as she handed each of them their masks.

Belle gently put hers on so as to not mess up her hair. Jefferson put his on a well and to their relief he was completely unrecognizable. The two of them stood next to one another, matching perfectly with each other. They were a pleasing sight.

Alice stood back and took it all in. She pressed her fingers to her lips, smiling widely.

"This…this is going to work. It really is, I can feel it." She began laughing with joy. Belle couldn't help but join in. She was right. They could do this.

Alice looked at the clock; it was almost 7:00pm.

"I better go. They want the wait staff there two hours early for prep." She began to grab her things.

"You two understand everything completely right? No last questions?"

"Alice for the umpteenth time we got it. Trust me, we can handle it." He smiled gently as he shooed her out the door.

She pulled him into a big hug and then waved goodbye to Belle.

When the door shut, Jefferson sighed deeply and then turned around, leaning against the panel.

"You scared?" He asked, noticing how much Belle was fidgeting.

She shook her head. "No." But in truth she was, who wouldn't be? Even if she wasn't responsible for the actual task of killing Regina, there were so many things that could go wrong. She had to remember her training; that was key.

"Alice said people will start arriving around 9 o'clock. I figured in order to make an entrance we should leave at 9:30."

Belle nodded, sitting on the couch's armrest.

"If this doesn't work Jefferson…"

"Belle stop…"

"No just listen. If something goes wrong and I wind up back in the asylum or even jail I just want you to know…it was worth it. It really was." She smiled at him.

He walked over and pulled her into an embrace.

"I told you I won't let you go back there."

He gently kissed her on the lips and then went into the kitchen. To no surprise, he began to make tea.

"You sure do love tea." She said casually, trying to change the subject.

"It calms me down," He answered as he set the pot on the stove. "I'm going to need about ten cups for tonight."

Belle turned towards the television. There was only one way to really calm herself down; she had to know if the news station was still reporting on Jefferson. She switched to the local channel and to her relief it was covering the event preparation for tonight. She kept it on just in case.

"Things are looking up." She whispered to herself.

In the two and a half hours they had to spare they briefly discussed the plan once more, to be certain that there were no mistakes. Jefferson would throw a situation at her and she would answer how she'd react in the moment. She did the same to him as well. By the time it was close for them to leave, they had assured themselves that they were as prepared as they could ever be.

"I'm going to call the cab." Jefferson finally said and Belle's nerves really became to take over.

The cab would be there in a couple minutes so they put their masks on and made their way down to the front of the building. This would be the first time in two weeks that they had left the apartment. It was a bit daunting yet liberating at the same time.

Jefferson entwined their arms together as they made their way through the halls and down the elevator.

"Just pretend we have nothing to hide." He whispered to her. She nodded.

They stepped outside and the air felt incredible. It was a beautiful night, not too cold but not humid either. They looked down the deserted street, it seemed everyone was already there.

The cab pulled up and Jefferson held the door open for her. He scooted in next to her and told the driver where to go, even though it was obvious.

Every now and than Belle would catch the driver look in his mirror at the two of them and she began to shake a little. _Or perhaps she was paranoid_, she told herself. There was no way he could recognize them with the masks on.

It took about ten minutes to get there for the reason that it sat on the very edge of Storybrook, on the side no one typical came to since it was the only building in that area. The cab pulled up to a gorgeous all white building, decorated with beautiful statues in the front and a glowing red water fountain with a heart in the center. The two of them walked in and handed the man at the front their tickets. He too stared but only at Belle this time. She sighed in relief.

They were directed down an entrance hall towards a set of double doors with two men on each side. As they approached, the doorkeepers nodded at them and slowly pulled the doors open.

A bright light practically blinded them. They stood atop of a long, wide stairwell that led down to the masquerade. A beam of light rested on them and it took a second to realize what it was. They had forgotten about this aspect of the plan, where one of the guards working with them was going to place a spotlight as they entered so as to draw in as much attention as possible. Jefferson and Belle exchanged glances and then proceeded down the steps. The goal was to get everyone looking at Belle and it was working. The closer they got to the foot of the steps, the more noticeable it became that most of the guests had stopped what they were doing to look at the beautiful couple gracefully walking down the stairs. They were curious about Jefferson, but couldn't seem to take their eyes off of Belle. She smiled softly, closely observing her surroundings.

There was one person in particular she was trying to spot of course, as was Jefferson. As they searched the room, she was nowhere to be found. The mayor was coming, that was certain, but where was she hiding?

When they stepped off the last stair onto the marble floor they slowly made their way through the crowd, watching closely for their cues. Arm in arm, they walked around, nodding at those who smiled at them and keeping a watch out for those who would be a threat to the plan such as the police or Emma Swan.

No one seemed too familiar so they walked over towards the refreshment table, pretending to have a conversation.

"You see anyone?" Belle asked.

"Not yet. But don't worry, if we don't find them, they'll surely find us." He said, grabbing her a glass of champagne.

"I wonder how many people…Jefferson?" She looked up at him and he was staring off across her shoulder. She spun around and not too far from them was the blond sheriff, Emma Swan. She was looking over at them, curiously, like everyone else.

Her dress looked beautiful on her. It was a one-shoulder, body hugging, royal blue gown. Her hair was pulled back in a side bun, giving her a very elegant look; much different than the last time Belle had seen her on the television. She was talking to another woman, just as stunning; with a dark, short pixie cut hairstyle and a lovely red, strapless dress. The two of them eyed Jefferson and Belle up, whispering to one another, most likely trying to figure out who they were.

"Who's that next to Emma?" Belle asked.

Jefferson continued to look over at them, as if daring Emma to come over and chat with them.

"That's her mother." He said as he stepped forward towards the food. Belle stood there, confused. _Her mother?_

Jefferson filled a plate for himself, looking over at the two women frequently. Finally Emma made the first move towards them but this wasn't part of the plan, this was one of the surprise scenarios they had prepared for. Jefferson didn't think she would actually approach them; he dropped his plate and quickly grabbed Belle by the waist, leading her towards the dance floor.

"That was close." Belle said as they entered the dance area. He spun her around and then placed one hand on her waist and another in her other hand. She laid her arm around his neck and they began to waltz to a soft melody. There were only a few other couples on the floor, but none compared to them. Part of the training involved dance lessons, which they had gotten down flawlessly thanks to Alice swiping the list of songs that would be played for the night.

As they danced, all eyes were on them. Emma made her way through the crowd so that she had a front row seat, watching them closely, as they made their way across the room.

"She knows," Belle whispered. "She recognizes you." Her voice shook a bit.

Jefferson glanced over at Emma who did seem to be paying particular attention to him.

"It's fine. She might suspect something but she knows nothing." But even his voice trembled with some uncertainty.

As they made their way around the floor, Belle continued to scan the crowd. Suddenly someone caught her eye; it was a man. Like Jefferson, he was wearing all black, as well as a gold tie. However, he was older, with brown shoulder length hair and intense dark eyes that were watching Belle's every move. His brow was furrowed, like Emma's, trying to pinpoint where he could possibly know her from. It was no mystery to her who this man was. He fit the description Alice and Jefferson had given her as they warned her to avoid him completely. This was Mr. Gold.

She had wondered just how close of a look he had gotten of them when he called the police the first night. She was starting to believe it was much closer than she had thought as he slowly followed them around the circle that had formed. She stared back as well, not sure why. If she was smart she would look away, _he was to be avoided at all costs_, she kept telling herself. But why was he looking at he like that? Everyone was curious but this was more than that. It was as if he was looking for something deeper, some kind of recognition or confirmation that he was seeing someone he knew.

Then Belle gasped. Her eyes widened in fear as her gaze landed briefly on a familiar face. She turned back to see that she wasn't mistaken. Regina.

There was no way to miss her. Like Emma, she was right up front, with her arms crossed, intensely scrutinizing the pair of them. She was wearing all black, her dress wrapping gracefully around her body in multiple directions, lacing up the back. Her short hair was pinned back, accentuating her piercing dark eyes. She was stunning.

"Emma may not know but Regina certainly does." Belle whispered. Jefferson quickly followed her gaze and he took a quick intake of air. Then he smiled widely.

"Finally." He said under his breath.

They stared each other down and then he said, "Let's make this count." Belle nodded, her body began to shake in anticipation.

He grabbed her lifted her up in air, spinning her gracefully around, her dress sparkly in the light, and then they bowed, finishing the dance. Applause broke out in addition to a couple cheers. Almost everyone was smiling and nodding in approval, except of course Regina. Even Mr. Gold joined in the applause, still staring at Belle.

They stood up and walked off the dance floor over towards a fountain to the left of the staircase. Once there, Jefferson glanced above him on the balcony where he saw Nick, one of the guards, awaiting his signal that they had spotted the mayor. Jefferson nodded and Nick returned the gesture, walking off to find the others.

During this Belle had noticed Alice walking not too far from them, serving hors d'oeuvres. She glanced over at Belle, turning her head slightly to the left, indicating that Regina was staring directly at them. Belle nodded and then something to her right caught her attention. Mr. Gold was making his way through the crowd, leaning on his cane as he approached. She froze up, pulling on Jefferson's sleeve.

"Jefferson. Jefferson, Mr. Gold's coming over. What should we do?" She asked. He quickly turned around to see.

"Alright. Relax. Just…just follow my lead." He whispered. However, when he was only a few feet away from them Regina stepped directly in his path. As her back faced them, they stood frozen in the spot, waiting anxiously to see what was going to happen. Regina spoke quietly to him; raising her voice at random times as Mr. Gold attempted to get around her. They couldn't hear much but they made out a few sentences:

"Get out of my way." Mr. Gold said and Belle could tell just by his voice that he was not a man to be messed with.

"This is a serious matter that I need to handle myself." Regina retorted.

"Move, _please_" As he said this Regina moved to the side. At that same instant Jefferson grabbed Belle's hand and pulled her away quickly, moving them swiftly through the crowds and back over to the refreshment area.

Once there, Belle began to panic.

"I knew this would happen," Jefferson said angrily to himself. "We underestimated how involved Mr. Gold would be in this. He clearly wants to find me just as much as Regina."

"You think he's that involved in this?" Belle asked. If he was, then why was he only paying such close attention to her? And why wouldn't Regina want his help?

"I don't know. But we can't take the chance. I don't only have to lead her out of here but him as well."

Belle stared at him in shock. "What…you mean? You want to kill him too?"

"Trust me I'm doing everyone a favor." He said, scanning the crowd for the two of them.

For some strange reason Belle was not okay with this. She had a gut feeling that he wasn't involved in any of this, that he wasn't a danger to them.

"You can't! Jefferson it's bad enough you want to kill Regina but someone completely innocent? It isn't right!"

"Hah! Innocent! Belle I don't have time to explain right now but trust me Mr. Gold is anything but innocent. We have to do what we must. If that means killing Gold, than be it." Belle had never heard him speak so coldly. Her brows pushed together in disbelief as to what she was hearing. How could he think like this? Was he really that delusional in thinking that killing the mayor would bring him back to a magical land? She had honestly believed that the story he had told her was some kind of reasoning he had made up to justify killing Regina. But now that he was involving others it became clear that he truly believed in the lies he spun.

Suddenly his eyes widened as he finally made eye contact with Regina. She stared at him with such intense hatred that it made Belle fearful she would kill him right there and then.

"Wait here. Follow the plan." He said quickly to her, running off towards the mayor. Belle stood there, watching the two of them closely; she had a rough idea of what he was saying to her but Regina's response was unknown.

From an outsiders perspective it looked like Jefferson was throwing insults at her and she was about to slowly crush him to pieces. He continued to smile as he spoke and as every second passed, Regina's eyes got darker and more wrathful.

He was striking a deal with her, or so she thought. Jefferson knew there was a reason Belle was hidden away so he ran with that; threatening that he would expose her if Regina didn't help him to get home. Of course, he knew she would never agree to such terms. So the second part of the negotiation was Jefferson asking for his help convincing the DA to let him go with a shorter prison sentence if he would turn himself in, which obviously wasn't really his plan.

Now Alice had done her research, she happened to know that the DA had been intending on going to this event, until recently he fell ill for reasons unknown. However, no one else was aware of this, hence Regina thinking that Jefferson would be leading her off to go speak with him.

Yet, as Belle continued to watch the two it didn't look as if she was agreeing to these terms either. She began to fidget as passerby's continued to watch, probably wondering where her partner was. Meanwhile, Jefferson had resorted to something else. He leaned in closely to Regina's ear and whispered something. Her eyes widened slightly and for once she actually looked enthralled by what he was saying. They exchanged a harsh glance at one another and then he led her off towards the other side of the building where she would unknowingly be ambushed by Alice and the guards.

Belle took a deep breath; everything was falling into place. As she watched them leave, suddenly a figure stepped in her path. A young man smiled awkwardly at her.

"Um hi. I was…I was wondering if you, you might want to dance? If you aren't…I don't know…if you're in dancing mood." He rambled on for a little and Belle smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you for asking but I'm a bit tired." She said kindly to him, feeling bad. She just couldn't risk going off plan right now.

He nodded and then walked away, giving her the opportunity to see Mr. Gold talking with Jefferson and the Queen. Belle's heart sunk. This wasn't good.

He had stopped them as they were heading out. Now and again during the conversation, Mr. Gold would glance over at Belle. It looked as though both Jefferson and Regina were both set on keeping him away from her. Regina touched his arm and began guiding him towards the exit.

Belle slowly inched her way closer, wanting to hear the conversation.

"Why exactly would you want to help free this man?" Mr. Gold asked the mayor, who seemed to have trouble answering the question. She looked over at Jefferson for help, but he too wasn't sure what to say.

"Jefferson…Jefferson wants to find his daughter. I think it's important that we help him reunite with her before he gets put in jail." Regina was trying very hard to sound convincing, as if she cared, but it wasn't working. Mr. Gold raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, laughing slightly at her attempt.

He leaned in closer to her, "You really expect me to believe that?" Regina was at a loss for words.

"I know about the curse." Jefferson said quickly, causing Gold to jolt slightly as he turned towards him.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Gold retorted.

"I think you do. The _mayor_ knows and she's agreed to hear me out. If you would be so kind to join us, it would be greatly appreciated." Jefferson said confidently. Now it was Gold's turn to struggle for words. He looked back at Regina, trying to read her face, which was beyond annoyed.

Finally Mr. Gold held out his arm, indicating for Jefferson to lead the way. He and Regina exchanged a peculiar glance that worried Belle. Good thing the guards were waiting to ambush them because something told her they were going to try and kill Jefferson.

Belle wanted to help. It wasn't a part of the plan but she needed to make sure that they didn't try to harm him before he led them to the right spot. She started to follow a distance behind them but was hindered by a figure stepping in her path. It was Emma Swan.

She smiled kindly, "Hi, I'm Emma Swan." She held out her hand and firmly shook Belle's.

"I'm the sheriff of Storybrook, I just wanted to introduce myself. I can't seem to figure out if I know you from somewhere? Are you from around here?" The way she eyed her made Belle feel uncomfortable. _She knows, she knows who she is_. Kept running through her mind.

"It's nice to meet you Emma. I'm new to town, I'm staying with a family friend." Belle said, trying to remember what she had practiced if someone was to ask her where she is staying.

"Oh really? Who is it? Emma asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"Mac Walters. He actually works here. I promised him I'd come and meet some of his friends…"

"Who was it that you were with?" Emma asked quickly. This was clearly the question she had been wanting to pose the entire time.

Belle took a deep breath, "Oh him, he's an old friend of Mac. They've known each other since childhood."

"What's his name?" She asked, sounding more like a sheriff interrogating a suspect.

"His name? It's um…" _Just say a name Belle_, she told herself but it was too late. That small hesitation was all it took for Emma Swan to confirm what she had already suspected. Her eyes widened, but instead of turning into sheriff mode as Belle was expecting, her expression softened into something of sympathy.

She reached out her hand and laid it on Belle's shoulder in a comforting way.

"You're her aren't you? The girl from the asylum?" She asked, appearing incredibly concerned for the well being of a girl she just met. This threw Belle for a loop, she didn't expect this reaction, especially from the sheriff.

"I can help you. If he's threatening you with something tell me! I promise he won't be able to hurt you…"

Belle shook her head, "No…he's not…he's." She started to panic again. This wasn't supposed to happen; she didn't know what to say without giving anything away. As she tried to calm herself down she notice the woman in red staring at her, appearing just as concerned as Emma. Next to her was a handsome young man, dressed in a dashing black and red tux. He had his hands rested on the woman's shoulder, whispering something in her ear. The more Belle looked around the more she noticed people were watching her and Emma.

She turned wide-eyed to the sheriff; it honestly made her feel grateful towards her that she was so concerned for her, but she couldn't let this go any further. Jefferson was in trouble.

She began to walk away, "I have to go I'm sorry…" She spun her way out of Emma's reach and moved towards the exit, keeping an eye out for Alice or anyone that could tell her what to do.

However, as soon as she left the hall and turned the corner, she felt a hand gently grab her wrist. She spun to see Emma once more, but she wasn't alone. Behind her was the woman in red, the man she was with, and to her surprise, Dr. Hopper.

"What…Dr. Hopper?" She said and the realized that she gave herself completely away. She began to move backwards, pushing them away.

"I…I'm sorry I have to go…" This time it was Dr. Hopper who moved forward towards her.

"You don't have to do anything he says anymore…we can help you." He said, trying to calm her down.

She shook him off. "He's not forcing me to do anything! He's…" The more she tried to argue, the more she realized there was nothing to argue against. He _was_ actually making her do something that she wasn't okay with, but it was a friend helping another friend. Besides, she wanted Regina dead as well…didn't she?

Emma moved quickly in front of her, placing both hands this time on her shoulders.

"What's your name?" She asked kindly.

There was no point in keeping it a secret any longer.

"Belle." She said quietly and then glanced over at Dr. Hopper. He furrowed his brow, appearing quite confused as to how she figured out her name; wondering if she just made it up.

"Belle," Emma said smiling, "Help us. I can see it in your eyes that you're scared. You don't have to be. We want to help you."

Belle shook her head, she was trying so hard to stay strong and not ruin the plan completely.

"We can. I know you don't know any of us but you can trust me. I saw him leave with the mayor, Regina, and Mr. Gold. You know who I'm talking about right?" She asked her.

Belle didn't say anything.

"I know him, Jefferson right? That's his name?" Still no reply.

"Listen to me Belle, he is a very disturbed man. He locked me and Mary Margaret in his home and forced me to make him a "magic hat"," She said, laughing slightly at the ridiculousness of the statement. She turned towards the woman in red who nodded; this was Mary Margaret.

"It's true! He's dangerous, you have to tell us where he is so that we can prevent him from hurting anyone else." Mary Margaret said, stepping towards Belle as well.

"Please, tell us where they went." Emma begged her. Belle was conflicted. She wanted to tell Emma the truth; there was something about her that she knew she could trust. Looking around she saw that the others seemed trustworthy as well, even Dr. Hopper. They wanted to help, that was clear. But she couldn't betray her friends. She couldn't turn her back on Jefferson or Alice or any of the guards.

"They…they went outside." She lied, bowing her head down.

All of them appeared very relieved and Emma even smiled. She rubbed Belle's shoulder softly and then ran outside, the rest of them following closely.

Belle stood there ashamed that she had to mislead them, but hopefully it would buy Jefferson some time.

She was about to go find him and the others when she heard a gunshot. Her body froze in place; _did they do it? Did they really kill her? Or was it Mr. Gold? Or perhaps it was neither of them…._

A second later Emma and the rest of them came storming in, looking at Belle for answers but she didn't move. They went past her towards the sound.

As she was about to follow them she heard small footsteps from a distance behind her. Turning around, she squinted and saw a little boy, no older then ten years old, running towards her, carrying a large brown object. The closer he got she came to realize it was an old book of some sort.

He smiled slightly when he saw her and to her shock he grabbed onto her hand, guiding her towards the sound of the gun.

"Come on Belle!" He said as he dragged her along.

"How…how do you know my name?" She asked him as she tried to keep up.

He turned towards her and smiled widely, "You're in this book!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The boy was fast, almost too quick for Belle to keep up wearing her heels. She tried to process what he just told her; that he knew her name because she was in the book he was holding. She glanced down and saw "Once Upon A Time" etched in gold letters on the cover; it was clear this was a children's storybook. _Could this possibly have anything to do with Jefferson's fascination with everyone here being fairytale characters?_ She wondered. However, she didn't have time to think about it. They rounded the corner and then came to a halt. Belle stood frozen in place, gaping at the scene before them.

There Jefferson stood, gun pointed directly at Regina's head as she coward against the stone wall. Next to her was Mr. Gold, who was practically being chocked by Mac's huge arm that wrapped around his throat. Across Regina's other side was Alice who had Emma in a chokehold as well, in addition to a gun pointed at her temple. Mary Margaret and Dr. Hopper were pinned against a wall by the other guards. Then Belle noticed how distraught Mary Margaret was as she stared at the floor. Partly hidden from view behind one of the guards was the other man, the handsome one, who lay clenching his arm on the floor. He was shot and it appeared that Jefferson was responsible.

"Leave them alone!" The boy yelled as he began to run towards Jefferson but Belle quickly pulled him back.

"Henry!" Emma and Regina screamed at the same time.

"What are you doing here!" Regina cried. She looked so vulnerable it was as if she was a completely different person.

"I figured something really important out and I needed to find you!" He said, speaking to Emma. "You have to let them go please!" He begged Jefferson, who continued to point the gun at Regina. His eyes were impassive; Belle knew this was not the Jefferson she had gotten to know over the last couple weeks. This was the vengeful Jefferson, the one who would do anything to kill the mayor. He didn't even look at the boy as he begged.

"Go home Henry! Right now!" Emma pleaded with him. Alice gripped her tighter. She wasn't nearly as strong as Emma but the gun definitely gave her the advantage.

Henry stood there, adamant on staying there to help. Belle wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't supposed to be involved in this part of the plan, and it was for the best. They knew she would let her emotions get in the way if she had to witness this and they were absolutely right. She saw the fear for the boys safety in both Emma as well as Regina's eyes. They clearly were both very close to him; _one of them must be his mother_, she thought.

"Take him outside. He won't want to see this." Jefferson told her, never taking his eyes off Regina.

"No don't!" Henry yelled. "You don't want to do this trust me. I know you think it will take you back to your world but it won't. It doesn't work like that!" Henry told him. For the first time Jefferson removed his gaze from Regina and stared perplexingly at the boy.

"What…you…you know?" Then he looked down, as if remembering something. Turning to Emma he said, "The book…this is Henry...you're son."

Henry nodded and then lifted up his book. Belle noticed that the guards, Alice, and Mr. Gold all flinched when they saw it. Jefferson stared at it, tempted to take a closer look, but not enough to give Regina a chance to get away.

"Bring it over here." Jefferson demanded of Henry. The boy moved quickly towards him, running his fingers through and finding one particular page to show Jefferson. He held it up to him, smiling slightly. Jefferson gazed at the page he was holding up, water filling up in his eyes.

He then recovered himself and moved his attention back to Regina, appearing even angrier then before.

"You know why I have to do this. I have to go home." He said to her.

"But you heard Henry. Killing her won't bring you back…" Emma started.

"Shut up!" He yelled at her.

"Do it Jefferson. Do it now." Alice demanded.

He turned to Regina, slowly moving closer to her. She sincerely looked petrified.

"You know you deserve this. You know what you did to me." He said to her.

She pleaded with him through her eyes, which were no longer hostile but almost repentant.

"Listen to my son, you don't want to do this." It was a plea but at the same time there was a slight threat in her tone.

"You took me away from my Grace." He was inches from her face now, gazing directly into her eyes. He was prolonging the kill, as if waiting for an apology that he would likely never get.

"Don't you have anything to say?" He asked her, shaking. She didn't say a word.

Belle couldn't watch so instead she looked at the others, all engrossed by what was happening between the two of them, except for one person. Mr. Gold was looking at Belle instead, with that same peculiar expression. He squinted his eyes slightly, tilting his head a bit to the right but never letting his eyes leave her face, which was still hidden by the mask. She wasn't sure how to react.

"Just do it!" Mac yelled, yanking Mr. Gold back with him as he screamed in frustration. The funny thing was Mr. Gold seemed completely unfazed by anything that was happening. He was simply annoyed that it was wasting his time, if that.

Jefferson continued to gaze at Regina and Belle could tell he wasn't going to go through with it; he couldn't.

Before they could find out however, they were greeted by an unexpected guest.

"August!" Emma screamed in relief.

A scruffy man dressed in leather and tight jeans walked towards Jefferson, a gun pointed at him.

"I don't want to do this. Put the gun down," August said, as he slowly got closer. Jefferson's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Looking around it didn't seem like anyone had prepared for this to happen.

August click his gun latch, ready to shoot Jefferson who kept his gun pointed at Regina.

"This won't bring you back Jefferson. I promise you, there are dire consequences in killing her like this." He said.

"Don't listen to him Jefferson! Shoot her!" Alice begged.

He wasn't backing down. Aiming his gun directly at Jefferson, his pointer finger was just about to pull back and shoot.

Without thinking or even considering how terrible the consequences to her actions might be, Belle acted on impulse, using the combat skills she was taught during training she knocked August backwards, catching his gun midair and aiming it directly towards him.

Clearly no one was expecting this, especially August he stood stunned against the wall, holding his bleeding nose.

"Don't do this. You're making a huge mistake." August began to say but Belle clicked back the latch and that shut him up. She wasn't sure if she would actually be capable of shooting someone but after what she just did to him, who knew?

"Look who came through for us. Why don't you let the princess over here handle killing Regina Jefferson and you babysit the boy. She clearly has the guts to get the job done," Mac retorted looking at Belle.

She stared wide-eyed at Jefferson, slightly shaking her head as if to tell him that she didn't want to, that she couldn't. However, he had acknowledged that his weakness was doing them no good and consigned the task over to Belle. He smiled slightly and nodded, trading guns with her and moving her towards Regina. She held it up just as Jefferson did, but her hand began to shake. Clearly Regina didn't see her as much of a threat because she began to smile at her cruelly, the way she had when she used to peek into the hatch in her cell.

This angered Belle. She didn't want to be the weak one; she didn't want Regina to get away with what she had done to her, what she had apparently done to Jefferson and the rest of them.

"Why?" Belle whispered to her. Regina flinched slightly as she said this, but she didn't answer.

Belle's finger hooked onto the latch and pulled but Regina still continued to smile.

"You're not going to shoot me." She said to her as if it wasn't up for debate, just a clear statement of fact.

"For Christ's sake shoot her or I will! This has gone on far too long!" Nick yelled; Mac and the rest of the guards chimed in.

But Belle still couldn't do it. She was angry but killing Regina wouldn't give her the answers she needed. She pointed the gun down.

"Enough of this!" Nick flung Mary Margaret into Jefferson's arms and grabbed a hold of Henry. Cries of shock and fear filled the room.

"No! Leave him out of this!" Emma screamed.

Regina's brash smile faded immediately and she became the concerned parent again. She made a move forward but instinctively Belle lifted the gun up to stop her. Of course she didn't want Nick to harm the boy, but she didn't want to let Regina get away either.

Henry struggled underneath Nick's hold. He had him in a chokehold, pushing out his free hand towards Belle.

"Give me the gun." He growled. Belle stared at him in utter shock. _Was he really going to threaten the boy?_ She shook her head.

"Nick what are you doing? Let the boy go." Jefferson said as he lightly held Mary Margaret against the wall.

"Don't you get it? The only thing the Queen cares about is this boy! There's no point in threatening her, we all know she will find a way to come back. She's powerful! We need to take something from her. Show her the meaning of pain and suffering like she has inflicted on all of us!" Nick yelled at everyone, his eyes crazed.

Emma, Mary Margaret, the man who was shot, and Dr. Hopper all looked very confused at what he was talking about.

"What has she done…what is driving all this anger?" Dr. Hopper braved to ask. No one answered.

"Give. Me. The. Gun." He threatened Belle. Yet, she still wouldn't give it up.

"Alice, you know I'm right. This is the only way." But even Alice didn't look okay with hurting the boy.

"Nick just relax. This…this isn't part of the plan…" She said to him.

"Part of the plan? Alice none of this is part of the plan! The plan is ruined! We came here to hurt the Queen. What better way then to kill the one thing she cares most about. "

He turned to Jefferson, "You of all people should want to do this. To take away her child like she has done to you. Don't be the same coward as you were in Wonderland. Hand me the gun." But Jefferson stood his ground. He kept the gun facing towards August, who was still clenching onto his nose, and used the other arm to prevent Mary Margaret from making any sudden movements.

"No. Nick just let him go. He's not involved." Jefferson said to him, now slowly moving the gun away from August and at Nick. Everyone stared in shock at the turn of events; no one had expected this.

Nick refused to let go, tightening his grip on Henry. Before anyone could blink, however, Jefferson fired a shot, hitting Nick directly in the head and setting Henry free. The boy stood there in shock of nearly being in the path of a bullet. Emma and Mary Margaret let out a huge gasp and Regina had jumped forward with Belle's pointed gun being the only thing stopping her from running to him.

"Get that gun out of my face." Regina ordered her but Jefferson then moved his own gun towards the mayor.

"Back up. He was right about one thing, you do deserve to suffer. I'm done playing games." Jefferson brushed Belle aside, aiming the gun back at Regina. They were back where they started, with one dead now. Belle look to her right and saw Alice and Mac whispering one another. He wanted Alice to give him her gun. But she obviously couldn't because then Emma would easily get away.

Belle then turned to watch Jefferson. She wasn't sure if she wanted Regina dead anymore, not yet at least. She had the answers, Jefferson didn't.

Jefferson began to speak quietly to the Queen once more and Belle couldn't make out what he was saying.

"He's not going to do it!" She heard Mac raise his voice loudly but she continued to watch Jefferson.

"He's going to chicken out again, just give me your gun!" She couldn't tell whether Mac was right or not.

"Belle!" Mac yelled, directing her attention back to him. "Pass me your gun. He's clearly not capable of doing this." Mac spat but Jefferson wasn't paying any attention to him.

Just then Mr. Gold mumbled something under his breath, it sounded like her name. His eyes got wide, still looking at Belle, once more searching for something in her eyes.

Mac took no notice of this and continued to get worked up, "Will someone just give me a god damn gun? All of you are WEAK. You care too much! You're a pathetic bunch! Sad excuses for…" Before he could finish the gun that Jefferson was holding fired a shot…directly hitting Mac in the head.

"Off with his head." Jefferson whispered to himself and turned back to the Queen, who staggered backwards, completely against the wall now.

Mr. Gold wasn't free for long though, Belle immediately lifted her gun and pointed it at him. But this didn't seem to faze him; he kept looking at her, his dark eyes distressed about something. Belle wasn't sure exactly why he looked at her that way but she did know that he was capable of manipulation very easily, this could be all a trick. She couldn't risk letting him go.

Slowly he stepped towards her, "What…what is your name?" He asked quietly, his voice shaking.

"Belle." She told him, still pointing the gun at his chest. He flinched back, eyes becoming softer, as if he were about to start crying. Once more he stepped a little closer.

"Stay back! Don't move any closer!" Belle yelled at him. She turned to see if Jefferson was paying any attention, but he was still having a side conversation with Regina.

Facing Gold again, she noticed her arm start to lift towards her face, hesitantly. She wasn't sure what to do. His gaze never leaving hers, he touched her mask softly, then without warning lifted it quickly off her face. She would have stopped him if she had known what he was doing.

Seeing her face completely for the first time, Gold jumped back, pushing himself against the wall. His eyes were a mixture of sadness, relief, and bafflement. He lifted his hand to his mouth in a gesture of shock and closed his eyes briefly. Belle stood there, gun lowered, in utter confusion. _What was wrong with him?_

Those surrounding them including Emma and Mary Margaret were no longer watching Jefferson and Regina but had moved their attention to Gold, having an emotional breakdown against the wall.

Belle then noticed a small gasp coming from her left and saw Regina staring wide-eyed at the scene. She looked frightened but angry at the same time.

Mr. Gold finally began to pull himself together as he walked forward towards Belle. He then looked to the floor and then quickly moved his gaze over to Regina, scowling intensely in her direction. Belle had never seen him this angry; she'd never seen anyone this angry, not even Jefferson.

Regina stared wide-eyed back at him, trying to form words.

"Gold. I can…"

"_You._" Mr. Gold seethed at her, slowly approaching. He moved a bewildered looking Jefferson to the side and stepped directly in front of the mayor, who coward against the wall.

"I had my reasons." She whispered to him.

Suddenly he broke out in a deranged laugh, but it didn't last nearly as long as Jefferson's did. He leaned in towards her, his whole body quivering in rage.

"You had her this whole time? She was alive this whole time?" He asked her, pointing a shaking finger in her face.

Regina didn't speak.

"Twenty-eight years." He said, almost to himself.

She said something under her breath but he didn't hear her.

Gold laughed once more, "Jumped off a tower…" Shaking his head in disbelief, he looked as if he was about to kill her right then and there. But instead he settled on bashing her in the head with the bottom of his cane.

Everyone jumped in shock as Regina fell to the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Oh my god." Emma gasped as she stared at the unconscious Regina lying on the floor.

"That was…um…I don't understand." Jefferson mumbled to himself.

"Gold that was completely uncalled for! What is wrong with you?" Emma cried, staring at him is disbelief. But it didn't seem to bother him.

He spun around, looking back at Belle who stood frozen in place, still recovering from what just happened.

Moving slowly towards her, a slight smile forming, he sighed deeply, taking her all in. She wasn't sure what was happening, why he seemed to have this obsession with her. It would make sense for her to be afraid but for some strange reason she wasn't; she felt confused more then anything else.

Suddenly there was a loud sound and everyone looked over to see Emma elbow Alice in the face and then grab her gun, knocking her to the ground in the process.

"Don't move!" She said pointing the gun now at Jefferson.

"Drop your weapon now!" She ordered him. Jefferson obeyed. Emma looked over at Mary Margaret who was now free and directed her to pick up his gun. She hesitated for a second but then made her way over to the weapon, holding it loosely in her hands.

"Aim it at them." She told her, motioning at the guards who had released Dr. Hopper and were now standing tentatively to the side. Mary Margaret pointed the gun in their direction but couldn't keep her eyes off the man on the ground.

"Emma we have to call the hospital. David needs an ambulance now." She said to her, panic instilled in her voice. Emma thought for a second and then nodded, looking over at Belle.

"Belle, right? That's your name?" Emma asked her and she nodded in response, still watching Gold.

"Take this and dial 911. Tell them we need an ambulance and back up at The Kingdom of Hearts Banquet Hall right away."

Belle took the phone but the screen was blank. She tried tapping the screen several times but she couldn't get it to work.

"Allow me." Mr. Gold said as held out his hand, a small smile lingered on his face.

She handed him the phone, their hands touching briefly.

As Gold made the call, Jefferson looked over at Belle, smirking slightly. He shrugged and she could tell that he wasn't all that surprised that the plan didn't work.

"August, are you okay?" Emma called over to him as he stood to the side; his nose had finally stopped bleeding.

"Yeah I'm alright." He said and patted Henry on the shoulder.

"Can you take him home?" She asked August while looking down at Henry.

"But Emma I have something important…"

"Henry not now, later okay?" He nodded somberly and skulked away with August.

"I feel really uncomfortable holding this gun Emma," Mary Margaret said. "Maybe I should let her hold it…" She said, looking at Belle.

"No. She's an accomplice in this. We can't trust her. Not yet at least." Emma retorted, looking over at Belle.

"I'll take it Mary Margaret." Dr. Hopper said hesitantly.

"Archie…are you sure?" She asked, slowly handing him the gun.

"Yeah. I've…I've handled a gun before." They all looked at him skeptically. He took the gun awkwardly and then pointed it at the guards, holding it in a strange position. It became clear he hadn't used one before. He shrugged, smiling. Mary Margaret laughed lightly but then ran over to David.

"Hey. Everything's going to be alright. An ambulance is on there way right now…David I'm so sorry." She cupped his face in her hand, smiling softly at him; he grinned slightly back, gently brushing through her hair with his fingers.

Mr. Gold handed the phone back to Emma.

"I'm honestly not sure how to handle this Gold. If it weren't for the fact that we have two men dead and another shot I would take you into custody right now for attacking Regina. But as it is I have more threatening criminals to deal with at the moment."

He didn't seem too concerned.

"What the hell was that for though? Why did do that?" She asked him, her curiosity was getting the best of her. Belle was glad, she was just as anxious to know but wasn't sure how to ask.

"Let's just say she deserved it." He said, staring at Belle.

Belle shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Do….do I know you from somewhere?" She finally braved to ask him. He didn't seem sure how exactly to answer.

Eventually he said, "You could say that."

"Where…" She began

"He's Rumpelstiltskin." Jefferson said confidently, as if it were very obvious.

Mr. Gold turned around, glaring at him crossly.

"Jefferson shrugged, "What? She knows about the curse. She's aware of our past lives. My question is though, why are you so happy to see her?" He asked him, leaning forward and raising an eyebrow. Mr. Gold seethed at him.

"Again with this fairytale nonsense! Jefferson you are sick. You need help! If I get any say in your verdict I'll make sure you end up getting some serious therapy sessions with Archie." Emma said to him, shaking her head.

"For the last time, I am NOT crazy!" He fumed, moving closer to her. She pulled the gun's latch back.

"You're just blind Emma. How is it that I was able to convince Belle of the truth within minutes but you still can't accept it after seeing everything you have? Perhaps _you're_ the one who needs help." He was now inches from her, towering above the gun she still had pointed at his chest.

"I'll be sure to see that he ends up in a mental asylum Miss Swan. You can be sure of that." Assured Mr. Gold. Jefferson scowled at him and then looked at Belle.

"I don't think you'd do that Mr. Gold."

"Why is that?"

"Because Belle wouldn't want that. And something tells me you'd be willing to do just about anything for her." He said, now inches from him. Mr. Gold's eyes widened slightly; Jefferson was right but he wasn't going to admit it.

Then suddenly Regina started to move. Her head tilted to the right, exposing a large gash in her head. She started to sit upwards.

"Regina don't move. You need to stay still, the ambulance will be here any minute," Emma told her but she didn't listen. She lifted her hand to her forehead, feeling the blood dripping down her face. Finally she looked over at Mr. Gold, who stared back at her with all the hatred and disgust he could muster.

She pushed herself as far from him as possible, leaning against the wall.

"You'll pay for this." She mouthed to him.

"Oh I doubt I'll be the one paying for anything dearie. It is you who better watch your back." He threatened

She lifted an eyebrow, challenging him.

"Alright guys seriously. Threatening each other right in front of the Sheriff might not be in your best interests." Emma said bluntly.

But neither of them seemed to be paying her any mind. Mr. Gold slowly backed up, never allowing his eyes to leave Regina's, but so that he was now standing next to Belle.

"She's going back." Regina said avowed.

This really seemed to hit a nerve for Mr. Gold. He shook his head, starting to tremble once more.

"Ah that is where you are very wrong." He affirmed confidently.

"No one's going anywhere until we have a proper hearing and get everything sorted out." Emma chimed in.

"She just held myself and numerous others at gunpoint. She is going back. That is _certain_." Regina said, her eyes getting darker as she spoke.

"So that's why she was there," Jefferson said, finally coming to a realization. "She was put in the asylum because you knew she meant something to him. You were using her as leverage." He said to Regina, who stared at him disdainfully.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, " She said causing Gold to scoff. "Belle was in there because she is certifiably insane. She's schizophrenic and it's very serious. As you can see she is extremely dangerous." Regina was getting so worked up, she began to pull herself into a standing position despite Emma's pleads for her to stay seated.

She walked towards Mr. Gold, fear completely vanished from her eyes now, but before she could get too close Emma stepped in between them.

"This is not the time or the place for this _Madame Mayor_." She told her, edging her back.

"You're stopping _me _right now? You think_ I'm_ the dangerous one? Miss Swan there are multiple criminals in this room, one including this man right here," She pointed at Mr. Gold, "And you are worried about me? All of them must be put under arrest right now!" She commanded.

"And how exactly can I do that with one gun and one set of handcuffs in my purse?" Emma retorted.

"Figure. It. Out." Regina spat at her and walked back towards the wall, dabbing her head with a tissue she found in her bag.

Emma stared off, hating when she felt like she was failing at her job. But what more could she do? She had a psychotherapist aiming a gun for goodness sake.

"Alright everyone against that wall, facing it with your hands behind your back." She ordered. All of them stood there uneasily, not sure whether they should listen or not.

"Now!" She yelled, pointing the gun in their general area. Jefferson, a wobbly Alice, and the remaining guards did as she said. Belle made an attempt to move but Gold gently grabbed her wrist, preventing her from going. She turned towards him, eyeing him questionably but he just shook his head, as if assuring her that Emma didn't mean the two of them.

"Gold what are you doing? Both of you against the wall now." Mr. Gold stared at her incredulously.

"Miss Swan we are not…"

"Now!" She said forcefully. Belle looked at him and then back at Emma, who had broken Gold's grasp on her wrist.

Mr. Gold refused to listen. Emma turned to Belle, "Belle the wall right now. You're in enough trouble." She said to her, speaking softly as to almost beg her to listen. Belle looked at Mr. Gold, who shook his head once more, and then followed Emma's instructions.

Mr. Gold sighed deeply but wouldn't back down.

"I am not a threat. You said it yourself dear."

"I know what I said. I changed my mind. Don't make me put you in handcuffs again." Emma said, inching closer to him. He smiled and then held out his wrists together, daring her to arrest him.

She furrowed her brow, not understanding why he was being so difficult. Looking behind her at the mayor, she was greeted with an eyebrow raise and a glare that told her if she didn't arrest him, she would likely lose her job. At least that was how she interpreted it.

She grabbed the pair of handcuffs from her purse and put them on Mr. Gold, who didn't seem too bothered with it. Grabbing onto his suit she pulled him towards the others, resting his head against the stone wall.

"Have to make everything so difficult." Emma mumbled to herself. Gold smiled faintly and for once he actually looked semi-composed. He turned his head to the left so that he was facing Belle. She looked over at him and for some reason found herself smiling back. There was something about him that made her feel strangely erratic.

At that moment the help had arrived. Several police officers came running in as well as the paramedics. They took care of David, lifting him out on a gurney, with Mary Margaret following close behind.

"I'll see you at the hospital." Emma told her as they headed towards the exit. The dead bodies were lifted out as well, leaving the police officers to place handcuffs on everyone against the wall.

"Nice work Miss Swan." A deep familiar voice said from behind. Emma spun around and saw the DA standing by the entrance, smiling widely.

He walked in, dressed in casual wear, yet still incredibly intimidating.

"Did you change?" Emma asked, slowly turning around to face him.

He shook his head, confused.

"Where have you been all night?" Regina asked, moving towards him.

He turned quickly towards her, "Home. I've been ill unfortunately. But I was informed that we've finally caught the infamous runaway and his "hostage". He moved towards Belle and Jefferson, eyeing them closely. He turned Jefferson around, analyzing everything about him.

"So you're the one responsible for all of this. You are the ringleader?" He asked him. Jefferson smiled but didn't respond.

"Answer me." The DA demanded. But still no reply. He shoved him back against the wall.

Then he turned towards Belle, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around now. Mr. Gold stepped back from the wall, watching closely.

"And you my dear, you are the hostage correct?" She stayed silent as well. "Why is she being arrested?" He asked the room. Regina stepped forward.

"She was a part of the entire plot Albert. She held a gun to my head. Belle is anything but innocent." She seethed.

"Is this true?" The DA asked her.

"She isn't a criminal. It wasn't her fault." Gold chimed in. The DA let go of Belle and walked over to Gold.

"I see you've got yourself into trouble as well, eh Gold? What did you do now?" He asked, taking pleasure in seeing him in handcuffs.

"Nothing that wasn't warranted." He replied.

"Oh no. Bashing me in the head with your cane definitely doesn't warrant an arrest." Regina said caustically. The DA glanced at her, just noticing her bruise, and then looked back at Gold.

"You have to work on controlling your anger Mr. Gold." He said to him.

"Perhaps. But it does become useful in certain situations, don't you agree Albert?" As he said this the DA's face fell. He turned solemn, staring angrily at Mr. Gold who was now the one smiling.

"What is he talking about?" Regina asked him. Albert didn't answer but continued to stare at Gold with much disdain.

Then, unexpectedly, the DA held out his hand to one of the police officers for the set of keys. He placed one in Mr. Gold's handcuff lock and set him free, appearing infuriated as he did so.

He spun him around, "There. I owe you nothing now!" He spat at Gold, feeling shameful for what he had just been forced to do.

"What are you doing? Why are you letting him go? He attacked me!" Regina became enraged. It took her a second to realize that Mr. Gold was collecting on a deal he had made with the DA. Apparently Albert Spencer owed him a favor after he helped him out with something.

"You won't get away this." She spat at Gold as the DA began to make his way to Emma, who appeared incredibly confused at what just happened.

"It seems I already have." He smiled at her, shrugging as he walked towards Belle.

Regina spun to see him whispering in Belle's ear, assuring her about something.

"Miss Swan have everyone taken into custody and transferred to the Storybrooke prison immediately." The DA ordered her. She nodded but then looked over at Belle who stared back at her in fright. Despite what Mr. Gold was telling her she couldn't help herself from shaking. She didn't want to go to jail; to be anywhere locked up would be impossible for her to handle.

"Wait. Albert." Emma said before the DA could leave.

She approached him, whispering discretely, "What about the girl, Belle? I have reason to believe that she acted out of fear. Jefferson threatened her, I'm sure of it."

"Miss Swan there is no way to determine the validity of your theories so until we can give her a trial she is going to jail." He began to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

"Look she's been locked away in an insane asylum for what I've heard a very long time. Regina says that she has schizophrenia. If that's true than she can plead not guilty for reasons of insanity. I…I don't think she should be taken to jail. Not yet at least."

"What exactly are you suggesting?" He asked her, becoming irritated.

"Let me take her to her to the station, I'll put her in the holding cell until we can get her a lawyer and a case. Please." Emma begged.

"Why do you care so much about what happens to this girl? Do you know her?"

"No I don't…"

"Then don't concern yourself…"

"I think that's a great idea," Regina said pleasantly. Emma, the DA, and Mr. Gold all turned to her in shock, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"What? You…agree with me?" Emma asked, skeptical as to whether to really meant it.

"Of course. Miss Swan's right she has a severe case of schizophrenia. Jail will be hard for her to adjust to. Not to mention she could be a danger to others. Keep her in the holding cell and this way her medication can be easily administered as well." Regina smiled maliciously over at Belle who shrunk against the wall.

The DA took a deep breath and then turned to Emma, "Fine. Take her to the holding cell until we figure out what to do with her. The rest of you take the others over to the prison." He told the other officers who obeyed immediately.

Mr. Gold stormed over to Regina, "What are you up to?" He asked her cynically.

She smiled widely at him, "I have no idea what you are talking about." He stared at her with utter hatred once more as she shoved him roughly to the side and walked out towards the exit.

He turned around towards Belle only to be assailed with the image of Jefferson kissing her intensely. She didn't push him away either but instead gently laid her hands on his shoulders, kissing him softly in return before he was yanked away by a police officer.

Taking one last look at Mr. Gold before he was pulled away, his mouth formed a vindictive smile, bathing in the pleasure of seeing Mr. Gold frozen in place, his eyes enraged. Jefferson whispered to him, "May the best man win, " under his breath and he was gone.

Mr. Gold wasn't sure what he felt; too many emotions were bursting inside of him. Anger, jealously, vengeance, and heartbreak as he watched Belle kiss him back. They were in love? He hadn't thought it came to that; he believed them to only be working with one another. His eyes softened as he looked up at Belle, who stared at the ground miserably. It was difficult for him to tell what she was thinking; she wasn't as easy to read as she had been in the past.

He wasn't going to ruin anything. She was back. She was alive after all. And if Jefferson thought that he stood a chance in competing for Belle's love, he was sadly mistaken. Gold began to step forward but Emma beat him to her.

She softly touched Belle on the shoulder, smiling gently.

"Come on, let's take you to the station." Belle nodded and Gold followed them out.

When they got to Emma's small, yellow car, Belle was surprised. She had expected a police car but this was definitely much better. She felt like less of a criminal.

She headed towards the back seat but Emma stopped her.

"You can ride up front. I promise I don't bite." She said teasingly. Belle smiled and moved up front.

The beginning of the drive was silent. Emma would glance over at Belle every now and then, watching her stare out the window in a daze.

Finally she spoke, "Thank you Emma." She said, turning towards her.

Emma knew what for; she nodded and smiled back.

"It's the least I could do." She said and this puzzled Belle.

"The least you could do? Emma I threatened you…. I held a gun to…."

"You also didn't let that man hurt my son. And I saw the pain you were in the entire time. You're a good person Belle. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Emma no, I was with them when they planned this…I am just as responsible. You have to know the truth."

Emma nodded, "I do. I know you were involved. But I still don't think you wanted to do it."

Belle didn't answer, she just thought to herself, mulling over what Emma was saying.

"Revenge can drive anyone crazy. Trust me you aren't the only one who has suffered at Regina's hands. She's can be very cruel." Emma said, now almost talking to herself.

She then turned back to Belle, "What exactly did she do? I heard Gold mention something about twenty-eight years… and that she had you somewhere? Was he referring to the asylum?"

"I'm not sick. I don't have schizophrenia." Belle told her, looking in her eyes to see if she believed her. It didn't look as if she did.

"I can't say I expected you to believe me. I guess I had just hoped." Emma looked sympathetically over at her once again. It wasn't that she didn't want to believe her. She absolutely did. Just as she would like to believe in Jefferson's madness and Henry's theories. But she was a logical person. She believed what made sense and it did seem likely that Belle had some kind of sickness. She had been locked away in an asylum; it wasn't as if they would keep her there for no reason.

"If I were you I'd stick with saying you have schizophrenia, regardless of whether you do or not. That could save you when you go to trial." Belle shuddered at the thought.

"It's going to be okay. Besides, we don't have to worry about finding you a lawyer. Something tells me Mr. Gold is already putting a case together for you." She chuckled softly to herself. Belle smiled back in agreement.

"So…do you two know each other? I didn't think you did but his reaction when he saw you…it was strange. I've never seen him look at someone like that." Emma told her.

"I've never met that man in my life." Belle said quietly, recalling the way he stared at her. How happy he was to see her. It didn't make sense, none of it made any sense. And yet when Jefferson kissed her, she felt nothing. Mr. Gold had more of an affect on her by simply touching her wrist then Jefferson did kissing her. But she wasn't going to tell Emma that.

By the time they had gotten to the police station it was almost midnight. She escorted Belle into the building and right inside the holding cell. It felt so wrong putting her in there, she just looked so out of place with her beautiful gown and flowing hair, still partly in tact. She looked like a princess being held prisoner in a tower.

"Are you hungry? I can run over to the store." Emma told her but Belle just shook her head.

"No I'll be okay. Thank you." She sat herself on the makeshift bed. At least it was much more comfortable then the one in the asylum.

"I'm going to run over to the hospital real quick and check up on David. You'll be alright…what are you doing here?" She asked as she spun around to see Mr. Gold.

"Discussing some matters with my client." He said casually.

"Yeah I figured you'd take care of her. But there's not much point in doing that right now. It's late, go home and get some rest. You can see her tomorrow." She began to walk towards the exit, grabbing his arm as she went but he stopped her.

"Come on." She said, hoping that he wasn't going to be difficult again.

"Actually Miss Swan I'm not here to talk to my client." He said sternly.

She furrowed her brow, "Then what are you here to do?"

"I'm here to collect my favor from you. Release her. Now."


End file.
